Sleep Disorders and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Students: a Review of the Current Literature
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: In recent years, sleep disorders have become one of the most common yet frequently overlooked health problems among medical students worldwide. Chronic sleep deprivation caused by a heavy academic workload, night shifts, and examination periods is increasingly shown to be associated not only with cognitive decline but also with early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction. This review summarizes the latest scientific data on the relationship between sleep disorders and cardiovascular risk factors in the student population, with particular emphasis on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms: autonomic dysregulation, activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, and circadian desynchronization. Data from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies demonstrate that insomnia symptoms, disruption of the physiological nocturnal fall in blood pressure (the “non-dipping” phenomenon), reduced baroreflex sensitivity, and early manifestations of endothelial dysfunction are considerably more common among students with poor sleep quality. The review concludes that sleep health should be regarded as a modifiable component of cardiovascular risk in medical education.
Language: English
Topic: Sleep and related disorders
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220743751