Staying up late for a few days might only cause fatigue. But if this continues for many consecutive days, the body begins to react negatively. The consequences include cardiovascular health problems and an increased risk of stroke.
Staying up late and getting insufficient sleep increases the risk of stroke due to the following effects.
Increases inflammatory response
One of the most studied effects of prolonged late-night hours is inflammation. Sleep helps the body regulate its immune system. When you get enough sleep, the body has time to stabilize and calm inflammatory responses. Conversely, if you don't get enough sleep, inflammatory responses are not calmed. As a result, the body is more likely to fall into a state of prolonged inflammation, according to the health website Medical News Today (UK).
Staying up late and getting insufficient sleep increases the risk of stroke. PHOTO: AI
Prolonged inflammation can damage the endothelium, the layer of cells lining the inside of blood vessel walls. When the endothelium is damaged, atherosclerosis is more likely to develop, thereby increasing the risk of cerebral vascular occlusion.
Effects on blood pressure
Blood pressure is not constant throughout the day. Normally, blood pressure decreases slightly during nighttime sleep. However, when you don't get enough sleep, the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active. This causes the heart to beat faster, blood vessels to constrict, and blood pressure to rise. For people who already have high blood pressure, this is even more dangerous because the blood vessels in the brain are already under high pressure.
Impact on the blood clotting mechanism
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke. This occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Lack of sleep can make blood platelets more likely to clump together. When platelets stick together, they can form blood clots.
Therefore, persistent sleep deprivation makes it easier for blood clots to form. If combined with atherosclerosis or atrial fibrillation, the risk of thrombus formation leading to stroke increases.
Studies show that even just a few nights of sleeping only 4–5 hours can increase inflammation and cause temporary changes in blood pressure. However, in young, healthy individuals, the body will recover if they catch up on sleep afterward and return to a normal circadian rhythm.
The problem is that when this situation repeats itself, the biological changes can become chronic, such as staying up late several nights a week or working long night shifts. At that point, the accumulated risk of stroke becomes truly concerning, according to Medical News Today.