Skip to Content
Accessibility Statement
Close Banner
Recovery

Missing Just A Few Hours Of This Daily Need Can Stress Your Heart

Ava Durgin
Author:
Ava Durgin
July 30, 2025
Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
By Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
Ava Durgin is the Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She is a recent graduate from Duke University where she received a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology. In her previous work, Ava served as the Patient Education Lead for Duke Hospital affiliated programs, focusing on combating food insecurity and childhood obesity.
Woman Sleeping
Image by superpeet / iStock
July 30, 2025

We often talk about sleep in terms of how it affects mood, focus, and energy levels. But emerging science is shining a light on a deeper connection, one between long-term sleep patterns and your heart. And for women in midlife, that connection could be more critical than we thought.

The heart-sleep connection

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women1, yet it’s often underdiagnosed and underdiscussed, particularly when it comes to prevention. A 22-year study found that sleep problems in midlife significantly raise the risk of heart disease later on.

Here’s what the research uncovered:

  • Women with persistent insomnia symptoms were 71% more likely to develop heart disease compared to those with low or no insomnia symptoms.
  • Sleeping fewer than five hours a night was linked to a higher risk of CVD.
  • The highest risk? Women who experienced both chronic insomnia and short sleep had a 75% increased risk of heart disease.

These associations held true even after accounting for factors like depression, hot flashes, and snoring.

This holds true at all ages

Sleep debt doesn’t wait until menopause to take a toll. Another recent study found that just three nights of restricted sleep in young, healthy adults triggered elevations in inflammatory markers associated with heart disease.

While high-intensity exercise helped reduce some of the strain, it couldn’t fully offset the cardiovascular burden, and lack of sleep actually blunted the benefits of the workout.

The takeaway

If you think of exercise and nutrition as core pillars of heart health, sleep deserves a spot right alongside them. And like diet or fitness, it’s not just about what you do in one night or one week; it’s the chronic pattern that matters most.

For women, especially, prioritizing high-quality, consistent sleep during midlife may be one of the most impactful steps you can take to protect long-term cardiovascular health. That might mean creating stronger sleep boundaries, embracing wind-down rituals, or addressing sleep-disrupting symptoms head-on.

Ready to reclaim your rest? Start here: