Sleep is the foundation of health. If you’re regularly falling short of the recommended seven to nine hours per night, you’re not just lowering your body’s energy levels—you may also be increasing your risk for high cholesterol and chronic disease. “Sleep deprivation is known to increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, depression and even dementia,” says Melinda Steele, M.D., DipABLM, a culinary-trained primary care and lifestyle medicine physician in California. 

With sleep disruption comes a cascade of negative health effects, making it hard for your body to function at its best. “When you don’t get enough [sleep], key hormones that regulate appetite, blood sugar, stress and metabolism become disrupted,” says Raksha Shah, M.A., RDN. Here, health care professionals explain why a lack of restorative sleep could be the culprit behind rising cholesterol levels.

Why Not Getting Enough Sleep Might Be Raising Your Cholesterol

It May Increase Insulin Resistance

Research shows that inadequate sleep is significantly associated with insulin resistance. While additional studies are needed, this relationship is thought to be due to increases in inflammatory markers, like C-reactive protein, and disruptions in circadian rhythm. Stephanie Darby, RD, a functional dietitian for female runners, also points out the concern about circadian misalignment, saying that veering away from your body’s natural rhythm can negatively affect glucose metabolism. Besides potentially increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes, studies show that insulin resistance is associated with elevated LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lowered HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. 

It May Increase Cortisol

“Without adequate sleep, our body increases cortisol production, which triggers a cascade of reactions to ‘fight’ a perceived stressor,” says Brittany Brown, RD, IBCLC, CDE, owner of Feeding Babies Nourishing Souls. Cortisol is a hormone that rises in response to stress. Over time, having high cortisol levels from chronic stress can affect how your body metabolizes lipids, including cholesterol. While more research is needed, one study found that a heart-healthy diet was less effective in lowering cholesterol levels in women with high (versus low) cortisol levels.

It May Negatively Affect Food Choices

Going to bed too late may also make it harder to make healthy food choices, thanks to its effect on hunger and fullness hormones. When sleep is limited, levels of ghrelin (a hunger hormone) increase, while levels of leptin (a satiety hormone) decrease. These changes may negatively affect your food choices throughout the day and, over time, could lead to weight gain and increased cholesterol levels.

It Lowers Energy Levels

“Poor sleep also makes it harder to stay active and make healthy food choices, creating a cycle that can drive up cardiovascular risk,” says Steele. Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of high cholesterol, with studies finding higher HDL and lower LDL levels in people who exercise regularly. If a lack of sleep is interfering with your ability to stay active, then it’s time to prioritize getting to bed earlier. 

Tips to Get More Sleep

If you struggle to get to bed at a reasonable hour or have trouble staying asleep, there are several things you can do to help. If changes to your bedtime routine don’t help, it could be time to talk to your doctor about your sleep habits and concerns. 

Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule

For many, one of the best parts about the weekend is getting to sleep in. However, this shift in your schedule could be the reason why you’re not sleeping well the rest of the week. Steele recommends sticking to a consistent sleep/wake schedule—yes, even on the weekends. 

The body’s circadian rhythm responds well to consistency and predictability because it acts like an internal clock. During certain times of the day, the internal clock turns on and off hormones related to sleep and wake cycles. A consistent schedule allows your circadian rhythm to function well and support deep sleep overnight and wakefulness during the day. “Getting up at the same time every day and getting natural sunlight on your face helps to produce melatonin early enough at night to allow you to wind down and feel sleepy at night,” says Dani Felber, M.S., RD, LDN, a mental health registered dietitian.  

Take a Walk

Combining natural light exposure with physical activity is a great way to promote better sleep. “Go for a 10- to 15-minute walk outside after lunch. The physical activity and brief exposure to sunlight can help regulate your body’s clock and support better sleep,” says Steele. Plus, taking a walk may also help lower stress levels, which can also help improve sleep quality.

Avoid Large Meals Close to Bedtime

Eating too much right before bed can disrupt your sleep. The timing of meals is integral to the circadian rhythm, and eating a large meal close to bedtime may negatively affect sleep and even your body’s metabolic response to the meal. Additionally, eating a large meal less than two hours before bed might not allow your body enough time to digest before lying down, potentially leading to unwanted side effects. “Gastrointestinal symptoms like indigestion and heartburn can make it more difficult to both fall asleep and stay asleep,” says Felber.  

Avoid Screens Before Bed

If you’re used to scrolling your phone before bed or typically fall asleep watching a show, it may be time to find a new bedtime habit. Exposure to artificial blue light in the hours before sleep can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it challenging to get restorative sleep. “The blue light from screens interferes with melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep,” says Supriya Rao, M.D., DiplABOM, managing partner and director of the Metabolic and Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, Integrate Gastroenterology Consultants. 

Instead, she recommends finding a relaxing, screen-free activity to end your day with, like reading a physical book, stretching or meditating. Try putting away the screens at least two hours before bedtime. 

Strategies to Help Lower Your Cholesterol

Getting adequate shut-eye each night is just one piece of the puzzle. For lower cholesterol levels, it’s important to prioritize an overall healthy lifestyle. Here are three strategies to help with better cholesterol: 

• Eat Enough Fiber: “Fiber can bind to cholesterol, which can help remove it from the body,” says Moushumi Mukherjee, M.S., RDN. For optimal heart health, try to incorporate a source of fiber at every meal and snack. “I like to encourage my clients to eat more plants every week—be it a handful of spinach thrown into your spaghetti sauce or smoothie, adding nuts or seeds to a favorite snack, or eating a piece of fruit alongside your morning coffee,” adds Brown.
• Opt for Healthy Fats: To help lower cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends choosing unsaturated fats instead of saturated ones.Shah agrees, recommending swapping out sources of saturated fat, like palm oil, fried foods and fatty meats, for heart-healthy alternatives, including olive oil, avocado and fatty fish.
• Move More: Physical activity is especially important for keeping cholesterol levels in check. Regular physical activity increases HDL cholesterol levels while also lowering LDL cholesterol., It’s recommended that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Activity in short bursts or longer duration both have health benefits. The most important thing is to find an activity you enjoy and can do regularly.

The Bottom Line

Getting enough sleep is the foundation for good health. Without it, your body simply isn’t able to function at its best, which could lead to health concerns like insulin resistance or high cholesterol. “Over time, inadequate sleep becomes more than just an energy issue. It’s a setup for chronic disease,” says Steele. To keep your heart healthy, prioritize getting adequate sleep by moving more throughout the day, avoiding screens and large meals before bed and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule.