The link between sleep and heart health is much deeper than what people think. In 2022, the American Heart Association (AHA) added sleep to Life’s Essential 8 cardiovascular wellness guidelines as a measure to be monitored which illustrated exactly this. This update wasn’t just an afterthought as AHA had uncovered compelling evidence sleep had an essential role on heart functioning while the heart works optimally. Let us understand why sleep might be equally important to your heart health alongside diet and exercise.

Sleep and the Cardiovascular System

Sleep is a wonderful therapy enabling essential restorative processes to take place and every organ system, including your cardiovascular system, benefits from this. During a night’s sleep, heart rate and blood pressure automatically fall inducing vascular rest [16]. Cardiovascular constructs are able to relieve themselves from day’s pressure as they recuperate during this nightly respite.

Blood pressure regulation, inflammation, and levels of stress hormones all need to be in healthy ranges for heart wellness and these are only possible when an individual is consistently getting quality sleep. On the contrary, protective mechanisms which are needed to keep cardiovascular system from serious sequelae later in life are compromised when there is insufficient or disrupted sleep.

How Sleep Impairment Affects the Heart

Cardiant issues can occur due to the poor sleep one gets due to various underlying causes. Here are a few factors that can be considered as biological mechanisms of how inadequate sleep disrupts normal sleep pattern for an individual.

Biologial Mechanisms

In general, disseas caused by not sleeping for the required amount of time are:
– Chronic Sleeping Disorders: Sleeping deprivation lowers the normal nightly dip in the levels of blood pressure which can also leads the body to lose the straining amount of heart and blood vessels.

– Prolonged Inflammation and Heightened Stress Hormones: Chronic sleeping ventilation raises the cortisol levels along with other markeres related to inflammation. This has the potential to destroy arteries giving rise to serious medical issues concerning the heart in the future.

– Imperfect Regulation of Metabolism: Inability to sleep increases the ways diabetes is caused. It contributes greatly on increased chances type 2 diabetes being one of the primary factors that leads to cardiovascular deceases.

– Erratic Heart Rhythms: Reduced sleep can cause over expression of stress hormones which in turn kicks the heart making it dangerously likely for arrhythmias to happen.

Effects on Lifestyle

Poor sleep greatly affects behavior, which leads to inadequate heart health. Here are some examples:

– Physical Activity: one does not feel like training on a frequent basis making it easier for the heart to skip exercising which in return protects it.

– Eating Prahbhital setaped sliding lbetween dhd baswatame vakoes poweees and (((=/ Sleep deprivation affects how hunger controlling hormones functions rubbish increasing apetite for starving individuals with shorter time gaps (high calorie foods) available to give power.

– Weight Management: The combination of increased appetite and decreased physical activity greatly increases the likelihood of weight gain which increases the risk for cardiovascular disease.

The Shocking Statistics

The statistics regarding sleep and heart health are concerning:

– Adults under 7 hours of sleep per night are some of the most likely to have major health issues such as heart attacks.

– Individuals who sleep under six hours are 66% more likely to be hypertensive than those who rest between seven to eight hours.

– Adults who get 5 hours of sleep or less have between 200% to 300% increased risk of severe coronary artery disease.
– There is a 24% increase of heart attack in the first 3-4 days after the March clock change (lose an hour) and 21% reduction when gaining the hour in November.

The Link Between Heart Disease and Sleep Disorders

Some sleep disorders can put certain people at risk for significant heart problems:

Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is closely associated with heart problems. This disorder is characterized by breathing pauses during sleep that reduce oxygen in the blood and makes the heart work harder. This condition is associated with:

– Cardiac arrhythmia

– Plaque accumulation in the blood vessels

– Heart failure

– Coronary heart disease

– Hypertension

Research indicates that reversing some of the damage to heart muscles is possible when OSA is treated with CPAP due to improved cardiac function.

Insomnia

When a person has insomnia, it means that they have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia is also associated with heart disease and hypertension. Based on results from The Sleep Heart Health Study, insomnia coupled with short sleep duration, defined as less than six hours of sleep per night, posed a 29% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Importance of Sleep Regularity

Recent studies emphasize not only the amount of sleep a person gets, but the consistency of sleep patterns is important too when it comes to heart health. The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health conducted a study that showed irregular sleep was substantially associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular complications.

People who struggled the most with sleep schedule maintained were almost 2 times as likely to develop heart disease when put head to head with individuals with more sleep regularity patterns. Even going to sleep or waking up just sixty minutes off your schedule on a day to day basis can over time add undue stress on your heart.

The study also showed that minimum sleep regularity index score showed a 15% reduction in MACE risk, whereas median score showed an 18% reduction. This goes on to highlight that consistent sleep-wake times may be even more crucial than psuedo-emphasis put on them in the past.

What Is The Recommended Value For Sleep?

For adults the American Heart Association puts forth the recommendation of 7-9 hours of sleep on an attired basis. This recommendation stems from the overwhelming amount of research and literature available focused on heart health.

Both too little and too much sleep can pose problems. A study looking into the relationship between the duration of sleep and cardiovascular disease found that having fewer than seven hours and over seven hours of sleep were precursors for CVD.

Better Sleep Improves Heart Health

If sleep and heart health worry you, consider using these techniques. They are proven to improve one’s sleep.

Stick to a Sleep Routine

– A consistent sleep schedule: Attempt to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
– Have a pre sleep routine that is calming: A relaxing pre-sleep routine prepares the body for sleep.
– Get exposure to natural light: Sunlight guides your body’s internal clock, making mornings important.

Change Surroundings and Lifestyle

– Refrain from drinking caffeine and alcohol: Avoid caffeine before bed. Though alcohol may assist with falling asleep, sleep quality will suffer.
– Partake in physical activity: Sleep usually improves when you exercise. Just be sure to finish associated vigorous exercises a few hours before your bed time.

– Avoid eating meals close to bedtime: Eating a heavy meal before sleep can disrupt sleep.

– Reduce exposure to artificial light: Try to limit screen time before sleeping.

Safeguard Your Heart with Sleep

Sleep is not merely an indulgence, but a necessity which directly influences heart health. Take action today by focusing on rejuvenating sleep and calling Dr. Tehrani’s office in Westwood for any sleep or heart concerns. Your heart will appreciate improved health, energy, and longevity.