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Review Paper | Health Sciences | Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026 | Pages: 1376 - 1382 | India
Association Between Sleep Quality and Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Narrative Review
Abstract: Background: Poor sleep quality is increasingly recognised as a determinant of cardiac autonomic function, commonly indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). Objective: To synthesise evidence on the association between sleep quality and HRV in adults. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using a structured PECO-based search strategy targeting PubMed/PMC, and CINAHL. Eligible studies examined sleep quality (subjective and/or objective) and HRV in adults, published within the last 10 years. Results: Twenty-six studies were included: six in healthy/general adults, three in occupational (nursing/shift-work) populations, ten in clinical populations (obstructive sleep apnea [OSA], insomnia, comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea [COMISA], mild cognitive impairment, heart failure, and elderly patients with anxiety/depression), and seven systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or genetically informed (Mendelian randomization) studies. Thirteen of the 26 studies reported reduced or impaired HRV- lower time-domain (SDNN, RMSSD) and altered frequency-domain (elevated LF/HF) parameters- associated with poorer sleep quality, most consistently in clinical populations with OSA, insomnia, and comorbid sleep disorders. Findings in healthy adults and occupational populations were more heterogeneous, with several studies reporting null or parameter-dependent associations. Conclusion: Sleep quality and HRV are associated, particularly in clinical sleep-disordered populations, but the relationship is inconsistent in healthy populations and is moderated by how sleep quality and HRV are measured. Standardisation of measurement protocols and larger longitudinal studies are needed.
Keywords: sleep quality, heart rate variability, autonomic nervous system, polysomnography, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, rapid review
How to Cite?: Dr Darshana Nariya, "Association Between Sleep Quality and Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Narrative Review", Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1376-1382, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26712110529, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26712110529