Teen Sleep Habits May Predict Heart Health in Adulthood: Research

Teens who maintain consistent, efficient sleep habits may be protecting their future heart health, according to new research published in the journal Sleep and to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting. The study found that adolescents with earlier bedtimes, better sleep efficiency, and more consistent sleep schedules at age 15 had significantly better cardiovascular health by age 22.

Led by Gina Marie Mathew, a senior post-doctoral associate in public health at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, the study highlights the long-term health implications of sleep patterns during adolescence.

The research team analyzed longitudinal data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, focusing on a diverse sample of 307 adolescents, 57% of whom were female. At age 15, participants wore wrist actigraphy devices for a week to objectively track their sleep behaviors. Sleep variables measured included bedtime, wake time, total sleep time, efficiency, and variability across nights.

At age 22, participants underwent cardiovascular assessments based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8—excluding sleep—which includes diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids.

The findings revealed that earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower night-to-night variability were all predictive of a higher cardiovascular health score at age 22. Interestingly, total sleep time during adolescence was not associated with future cardiovascular outcomes.

Mathew noted that the results highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to address the relationship between adolescent sleep health and cardiovascular health. “Future research and recommendations should emphasize the importance of multiple dimensions of sleep health, including earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep variability as protective factors for long-term heart health,” Mathew said.

Reference: Gina Mathew, David Reichenberger, Orfeu Buxton, Anne-Marie Chang, Norrina Allen, Noreen Goldman, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Daniel Notterman, Lauren Hale, 0292 Poorer Actigraphic Sleep Health in Adolescence Predicts Lower Cardiovascular Health Score in Young Adulthood, Sleep, Volume 48, Issue Supplement_1, May 2025, Page A128, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaf090.0292