Sleep deprivation is a major issue in human health. Studies show that adequate sleep is necessary for a multitude of cellular and neural functions. Despite this, it remains that 1 in every 3 Americans report less than the recommended 7-9 hours nightly, with 70 million of them reporting chronic sleep deprivation. Cardiac function is one of the systems affected by sleep deprivation. This study measures Heart Rate Variability (HRV), using a noninvasive, relatively inexpensive method to collect data through electrocardiograms (ECGs). The positive or negative impact of sleep deprivation on cardiac health is reflected as increased or decreased HRV, respectively. Previous research has identified positive correlations between amounts of sleep and HRV, but the effects of chronic versus acute sleep deprivation on HRV are further explored in this study. This study utilized surveys and HRV data from ECGs to examine differences in chronic (n =40, avg age = 25.8) and acute (n = 36, avg age = 26.4) sleep deprivation. Chronic sleep deprivation versus both Average R-R (R = 0.36) & pRR50 (R = 0.25) times were more strongly correlated than acute sleep deprivation versus Average R-R (R = 0.16) and pRR50 (R = 0.13) times. Paired-ANCOVA analysis demonstrated a significant difference between chronic and acute data using both Average R-R (p = 0.0470) and pRR50 (p =0.0469) metrics of measurement while SDRR measurements showed a similar, but insignificant difference. These results show that chronic sleep deprivation has a significantly greater cardiac impact than acute sleep deprivation. The hypothesis that an increase in chronic sleep deprivation will lead to a decrease in HRV is supported by these results. Future research to uncover direct links between sleep deprivation and HRV could be used to advance public awareness of chronic sleep deprivation and its impact on the cardiac system.
