Overview
Good sleep is essential for your health. You need 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to feel energetic throughout the day and help your body function at its optimum. While a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are vital for your overall well-being, good sleep is also crucial.
Lack of sleep can cause serious health problems over time. These include heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke and depression.
Read this article to understand how sleep deprivation can affect your heart.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
The effects of sleep deprivation include:
High blood pressure
When you sleep, your blood pressure drops by 10 to 20%. Sleep deprivation causes your blood pressure to stay high throughout the night. Such elevated blood pressure at night is linked to hypertension.
High blood pressure increases the risk of a heart attack. It also causes reduced blood flow to the brain, which could lead to a stroke. People who work long hours, struggle to deal with stress or find it difficult to fall asleep are more prone to hypertension.
Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels are too high for the body to process. Sleep deprivation affects blood glucose metabolism. The body finds it difficult to process the food you eat and convert it into energy.
Lack of sleep impacts the effective management of blood glucose levels. And high blood sugar damages the arteries and affects your heart health.
Heart disease
Sleep and heart disease are closely linked. High blood pressure due to sleep deprivation causes chest pain. Poor sleep also affects the immune system and leads to chronic inflammation. Inflammation causes plaques to form in the arteries. The plaque hardens the arteries, hampers blood flow to the heart, and leads to coronary heart disease.
Heart attack
A heart attack occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood is hampered due to blocked arteries. Sleep deprivation and sleep disturbance also cause a sharp rise in the heart rate and blood pressure upon waking up.
NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep allows the heart to slow down. In contrast, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep involves a heightened sense of activity and stress. Sleep deprivation can disturb the balance between these two stages and increase the chances of a heart attack.
Sleep conditions that affect heart health
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea and heart disease are interlinked. This sleep condition usually affects people with obesity.
Sleep apnea occurs when your airways get repeatedly blocked while sleeping. This causes you to stop breathing for short periods of time. It affects the amount of oxygen your body gets when you sleep.
Lack of oxygen increases the risk of heart attack and irregular heartbeats. If you already have heart disease, multiple periods of low blood oxygen can cause sudden death due to irregular heartbeat.
Tips for better sleep
Sleep deprivation has negative effects on your heart health. Sleeping less than six hours at night increases your chances of a heart attack by 20%.
Sleep interruption and sleep disturbance cause a sudden rise in heart rate and blood pressure, both of which are linked to heart attacks.
Here’s how you can improve the quality of your sleep and minimize the chances of heart problems:
• Switch off all electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Follow a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule.
• Practice deep breathing and meditation before bedtime.
• Maintain a comfortable sleeping environment.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, as they can disturb your sleep.
• Finish your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
• Avoid intense exercise in the evening, as it can raise your heart rate and affect your sleep.
Keep your heart healthy
Many people suffer from heart problems, irrespective of age and gender. An unhealthy lifestyle and sleep deprivation are common causes of heart disease.
Consult a sleep specialist or your family physician, who will recommend medical treatment or therapy for stress management to help you sleep better. Switch to a low-fat, plant-based diet and regular exercise, and seek medical help to manage blood sugar and cholesterol to ensure a healthy heart.
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FAQs
How many hours of sleep is good for heart health?
The need for sleep differs from person to person. While kids need more sleep, older people need less. However, six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is ideal for a healthy heart.
Which is the ideal side to sleep on?
Sleeping on the left side is ideal, as it opens up your airways and helps you breathe easily. It also helps those with sleep apnea reduce snoring and breathe comfortably.
What is the best way to nap during the daytime?
Napping after 3 pm interferes with nighttime sleep. If you want to nap in the afternoons, aim to nap for not more than 10 to 20 minutes. If you nap for longer, you will find it difficult to sleep at night.
