Study Finds Low-Dose Aspirin Reduces Inflammation from Sleep Loss

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that low-dose acetylsalicylic acid, also known as aspirin, can reduce inflammatory responses to sleep restriction.

Lack of sleep has been increasingly recognized as a significant factor contributing to inflammation in the body. When an individual does not get sufficient sleep, the body's natural restorative processes are disrupted, leading to an increase in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines are signaling molecules that promote inflammation, which, in turn, can trigger a cascade of adverse effects on various bodily systems.

This persistent state of inflammation can compromise the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and diseases.

In the study, researchers conducted a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial involving 46 healthy adults. Three protocols were implemented: sleep restriction/aspirin, sleep restriction/placebo, and control sleep/placebo. Each protocol consisted of a 14-day at-home phase followed by an 11-day in-hospital stay. Participants in the sleep restriction/aspirin condition took low-dose aspirin during both phases. During the in-hospital stay, participants experienced two nights of eight-hour sleep opportunities followed by five nights of four-hour sleep opportunities and three nights of recovery sleep. Control sleep participants had eight-hour sleep opportunities throughout their in-hospital stay. Sleep and immunologic measures were evaluated at baseline and at various points throughout the study.

Results show that compared with placebo, preemptive administration of low-dose aspirin during sleep restriction reduced pro-inflammatory responses. Specifically, aspirin reduced interleukin-6 expression as well as C-reactive protein serum levels.

“These findings show that it is possible to blunt inflammatory pathways activated by sleep restriction through preemptive administration of low-dose aspirin. This may foster the development of new therapeutics that specifically target those pathways, and do not exhibit the undesirable side effects associated with aspirin, such as bleeding and stroke. Such therapeutics could complement behavioral sleep improvement therapies to better prevent or control inflammation and its consequences in those experiencing periods of sleep deficiency,” said lead author Larissa Engert.

Reference: Larissa Engert, Carola Ledderose, Careen Biniamin, et al.; Using Low-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid to Target Inflammation in Response to Experimental Sleep Restriction in Humans, Sleep, Volume 47, Issue Supplement_1, May 2024, Page A75, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae067.0174