Summary
Study of national-level athletes found that HRV measured before sleep could predict chronic insomnia with remarkably high accuracy, suggesting HRV as a screening tool for sleep disorders.
Methods
Binary logistic regression model using pre-sleep HRV in elite athletes
Key Findings
- Pre-sleep HRV predicted chronic insomnia with 96% accuracy
- Lower pre-sleep HRV associated with insomnia diagnosis
- Simple measurement could screen for sleep disorders
- Athletes with insomnia showed distinct HRV patterns
Limitations
Elite athlete population may not generalize, single study
What This Means for You
Your pre-sleep HRV might reveal sleep issues before you notice them. Consistently low evening HRV could be a sign to investigate your sleep quality more closely.
Source
Read the original paper in Frontiers in Physiology ↗
Added to HRV Zone: 2025-01-07