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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings
Published on: June 13, 2025
Sleep Irregularity and Short Sleep Duration Are Associated with Less Favorable Cardiometabolic Profiles in Healthy
Sofia Lotti1, Antonia Napoletano1, Monica Dinu1
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Firenze, Italy.
None:
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation between sleep quantity (TST), efficiency (SE) and regularity (SRI) and cardiometabolic parameters and eating habits. Methods: Seventy clinically healthy adults (74% females; mean age 28.3 ± 10.1 years) were recruited at the Clinical Nutrition Unit of Careggi University Hospital, Florence, between October 2023 and December 2024. Sleep was monitored for 7 days using a Fitbit Alta HR actigraphy. Cardiometabolic health was assessed via bioimpedance and blood samples. Dietary habits were evaluated through 3-day food diaries and the Medi-Lite questionnaire. Results: Participants had an average TST of 7.4 ± 1.1 h, SE of 84.9 ± 6.9%, and SRI of 62.2 ± 19.9. Lower SRI (≤41, 1st quintile) was associated with higher fat mass (19.9 ± 6.7 vs. 15.2 ± 6.6%), higher total cholesterol (183.9 ± 20.9 vs. 155.0 ± 26.8 mg/dL), and lower folate (3.6 ± 1.6 vs. 5.6 ± 2.5 ng/mL) compared to higher SRI (≥80, 5th quintile). Sleeping <7 h/night was linked to higher BMI (22.6 ± 2.1 vs. 21.5 ± 2.0 kg/m2) and homocysteine (11.4 ± 2.3 vs. 10.4 ± 3.3 μmol/L). Weak but significant inverse correlations emerged between TST and BMI (R = -0.26, p = 0.02) and between SRI and cholesterol (R = -0.28, p = 0.01), but these associations disappeared in the multivariable linear regression adjusted model. Conclusions: These findings underscore the role of sleep duration and regularity in shaping body composition and cardiometabolic health, supporting its relevance as a modifiable public health priority.
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