Alarm sound may increase your risk of stroke and heart attack
According to a new study from the University of Virginia, the sound of an alarm could be posing a risk to your health. Researchers say that being forcibly woken up increases your blood pressure, which could heighten the risk of serious cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and strokes.
A nursing doctoral student at the University of Virginia, Yeonsu Kim, studied 32 participants for two days to see how being abruptly awakened affected their blood pressure. Kim used smartwatches and finger cuffs to measure blood pressure.
On the first night, participants were instructed to wake up naturally without an alarm. On the second night, they were asked to set an alarm after about 5 hours of sleep.
The results showed that those who were woken by an alarm had a 74% higher blood pressure than those who woke up without one. This indicates that being forcibly awakened, especially after inadequate sleep, can cause a significant surge in blood pressure.
Kim told Newsweek in an interview that she was surprised to find the blood pressure increase was significantly higher when woken by an alarm compared to waking up naturally, adding, "Our findings need to be confirmed and replicated in larger populations."
One of the study participants, Daniel Lee, a mechanical engineering student, described being woken by an alarm after only five hours of sleep as "jarring."
Lee usually sets an alarm to ensure he gets to his classes on time, but the findings of this research have led him to rethink his morning routine. "I won't set an alarm on weekends and will try to wake up naturally," he said.
Sudden increases in blood pressure can elevate the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This is because high blood pressure levels can limit the oxygen and blood flow to the heart.
Scientists already know that stress can be a factor in high blood pressure, but this study delves deeper into the context of sleep. Previous evidence has shown that people who do not get enough sleep at night (less than seven hours) tend to have higher blood pressure and, therefore, a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Although the research suggests a strong link between blood pressure and waking up, a press release states that the study was only a pilot and needs to be tested more thoroughly.
