Your daily schedule is filled with family, work, electronic devices, and irregular meal times that all lead to stress. The presence of stress can make it difficult to sleep. You may have insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep related disorders. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is detrimental to your heart and may increase your need to see a cardiologist.
Lack of Sleep is Linked to Heart Health
Less than six hours of sleep at night can boost inflammation in your body, which in turn, leads to cardiovascular disease. Sleep apnea, where you stop breathing briefly due to a tongue or throat blockage, is known to raise your blood pressure causing heart attacks and stroke. Habitual snoring is associated with the risk of sudden death during sleep. Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, has been directly linked to high blood pressure.
An 2019 article from Nature Views Cardiology reported, “However, the most relevant growing concern of the medical community is the evidence of the clear link of sleep deprivation, independently by its underlying cause, with the development and progression of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and also cancer.”
How Much Sleep is Required
The National Sleep Foundation has set the requirements for young adults at seven to nine hours per night and seven to eight hours of sleep for older adults. If you are constantly awake, or going to bed late, you need to think about your sleep.
Sleep Tips
- Use a sleep app on your phone with white noise or a sound like a gentle stream.
- Cut back on electronic use at night. The blue light makes your brain think it is still daytime.
- Turn off the TV at the same time each night.
- Cut back on caffeinated drinks in the evening.
- Try melatonin to fall asleep faster. Check with your doctor first.
Speak to your medical provider with any concerns about your heart or sleep issues.
