A new study of a hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania has found that people who get more restful sleep have a lower risk of heart disease. The study, published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, is the first to examine the relationship between sleep quality and heart disease in a traditional society.
The study included 1,000 adults from the Hadza people, a group of hunter-gatherers who live in the Rift Valley of Tanzania. The Hadza have a traditional lifestyle that involves sleeping in huts without electricity or artificial light. They typically go to bed soon after sunset and wake up with the sun.
The researchers measured the participants' sleep quality using a variety of methods, including actigraphy, which tracks movement during sleep, and questionnaires about sleep habits. They also measured the participants' blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other markers of heart disease risk.
The results showed that people who got more restful sleep had a lower risk of heart disease. Specifically, those who spent more time in deep sleep and less time in light sleep had a lower risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.
The researchers say that the study's findings suggest that sleep quality is an important factor in heart health. They believe that getting enough restful sleep may help to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing inflammation and improving blood pressure control.
The study's findings also have implications for public health policy. The researchers say that promoting good sleep habits should be a part of efforts to reduce the risk of heart disease. This could include measures such as educating people about the importance of sleep, providing access to sleep clinics, and reducing exposure to light at night.
"Our study shows that sleep quality is an important factor in heart health," said lead author Dr. Christopher Gill, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. "Getting enough restful sleep may help to reduce the risk of heart disease, even in people who live in traditional societies."
