Night-time habit could be early warning for stroke or heart failure

Need to know Night-time habit could be early warning for stroke or heart failure All you need to know as experts say sleep patterns could raise your risk of serious heart conditions including stroke and heart failure Need to know - experts say sleep patterns could raise your risk of serious heart conditions including stroke and heart failure - Irregular sleep patterns, including going to bed later at weekends, may be linked to a higher risk of serious heart problems, a new study suggests. - Experts studying the impact of sleep on the heart also found that varying the length of sleep too much, such as having a long lie-in or skipping going to bed, may also have a negative effect. - Researchers analysed around one million nights of sleep recorded by more than 10,000 adults, and found that greater variation in bedtimes and sleep duration over roughly six months was associated with a 20% to 23% higher risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure. - Every 29-minute increase in how much sleep length varied from night to night was also linked to a 29% higher risk of heart muscle disease and a 20% higher risk of heart failure. - Lead researcher Dr Nguyen Minh Tuan Viet said: "Sleep irregularity is often due to weekends – we get to sleep a little bit later on a Friday night; or people have shift work. This may not be good for your heart health." - He added that while sleep quality can be hard to control, "the regularity, consistent bedtimes throughout the week and waking up at the same time every morning, is something some people can control." - The findings have not yet been peer-reviewed and are being presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago. READ THE FULL STORY: Night-time habit could be early red flag for stroke or heart failure