Acute partial sleep restriction does not impact arterial function in young and healthy humans

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular physiology
• Sleep science
• Vascular biology

Background:

• Habitual short sleep is linked to cardiovascular diseases.
• Experimental studies show impaired arterial function after sleep deprivation.
• The acute impact of partial sleep restriction (PSR) on arterial health is not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the acute effects of a single night of partial sleep restriction (PSR) on arterial structure and function.
• To assess if cardiorespiratory fitness moderates the arterial response to acute sleep restriction.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 32 university-aged participants under two conditions: normal sleep (NS) and acute PSR (3 hours of sleep).
• Measured endothelial function using brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) via ultrasonography.
• Assessed cardiorespiratory fitness using a ramp peak oxygen uptake test and analyzed blood samples for circulatory factors.

Main Results:

• Sleep duration was significantly lower after PSR compared to NS (P < 0.001).
• No significant differences were observed in haemodynamic outcomes, including FMD (NS: 6.5 ± 2.9%; PSR: 6.3 ± 2.9%; P = 0.668).
• Cardiorespiratory fitness did not moderate the haemodynamic response to PSR, and ex vivo cell culture confirmed no alteration in endothelial function intracellular processes.

Conclusions:

• A single night of acute partial sleep restriction does not appear to alter arterial structure or function in healthy young adults.
• Cardiorespiratory fitness does not modulate the arterial response to acute sleep restriction.
• These findings suggest that acute, short-term sleep restriction may not have immediate detrimental effects on vascular health in this population.