Struggle to maintain regular bedtime routine, say residents

Irregular sleep schedules can increase the risk of heart diseases, warn doctors

- Nandini Sircar

Not maintaining a consistent sleep and wake-up time increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure by 26 per cent – even for those who get a full night's sleep – according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.

Supporting these findings, medical experts in the UAE emphasised that earlier research primarily focused on the link between sleep duration and health, recommending seven to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal well-being.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, revealed that irregular sleep patterns—varying bed and wake-up times daily—were “strongly associated” with a significantly higher risk of major cardiovascular events. Even eight hours of sleep failed to counteract the adverse effects of inconsistent sleep schedules. However, many residents in the UAE stressed that maintaining regular bedtime routines can be difficult as professional lives can often be quite demanding, especially for those who work on night shifts or rotating schedules. They often experience disrupted sleep patterns.