A bad night’s sleep is linked to higher risk of dying, in women especially, research shows

Women suffering from increased unconscious wakefulness (being awake without being aware of it) are at more risk of dying from cardiovascular disease

Factors such as stress, obesity and drinking can increase periods of wakefulness, say researchers – tackling these can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

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A study has found that people – women in particular – who have more periods of unconscious wakefulness also have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 3 May 2021Updated: 10:17am, 10 May 2021

A bad night’s sleep doesn’t just leave a person feeling lethargic and moody, it is linked to a higher risk of death, too – particularly in women – new research has revealed.

A study of 8,001 people, published in the European Heart Journal, found women who suffered from unconscious wakefulness (when we wake up without being aware of it) had an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Compared to the general female population, women who experienced disturbed sleep most often and for longer periods of time had almost double the risk of dying from heart and blood vessel diseases. The link with men was less clear – their risk of cardiovascular death increased by just over a quarter compared with the general male population.

Disrupted sleep in the form of unconscious wakefulness, also known as cortical arousal, is a normal part of sleep.

A bad night’s sleep doesn’t just leave a person feeling lethargic and moody, it is linked to a higher risk of death, too. Photo: Getty Images

“It is unclear why there is a difference between men and women in the associations,” says lead researcher Dominik Linz, associate professor in the cardiology department at the Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.