Sleep well for proper kidney function

Shorter sleep duration can lead to a more rapid decline in kidney function, says a new study. Many of the body's processes follow a natural daily rhythm or so-called circadian clock that is based on regular sleep-wake cycles. The study found that kidney function may be compromised when this natural cycle is disrupted.

Researchers led by Ciaran Joseph McMullan from Brigham and Women's Hospital analysed information on 4,238 participants from the Nurses' Health Study with kidney function measurements on at least two occasions over an 11-year period. The researchers found that shorter sleep duration was significantly linked with a more rapid decline in kidney function.

As an example, women sleeping for five hours per night had a 65 per cent increased likelihood of experiencing a rapid decline in kidney function compared with women sleeping seven to eight hours per night.

"This is the first prospective study to find that shorter sleep duration is associated with a more rapid decline in renal function," said McMullan. "The findings of this paper coupled with research from others suggest that renal physiology may be adversely effected by disruption in sleep, including sleep restriction," McMullan added.