Helping Your Heart While You Sleep
Taking care of your heart is important in maintaining an active and balanced lifestyle. While working out and dieting are two great first steps to sustaining a healthy heart, sleep is equally as important.
Sleeping Disorders and the Heart
Many studies have associated insufficient sleep to an increased risk of heart disease, and habitual short sleep raises the chance that cardiovascular events will occur. Two common sleep disorders than can impact heart health are insomnia and sleep apnea.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep. Studies show that as many as one in two adults experience short-term insomnia at some point, and one in ten have long-lasting insomnia. This common sleep disorder is often connected to high blood pressure and heart disease. Researchers have found that insomnia triggers the body’s stress response, which can weaken your heart over time.
Sleep apnea is another sleep disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Interrupted breathing stemming from sleep apnea is a cause for disrupted sleep, which is why it is related to several cardiovascular problems. Your brain also releases stress hormones during these irregular breathing episodes. Stress hormones can raise both your blood pressure and heart rate.
As Sleep Increases, Heart Rate Decreases
A good night’s sleep decreases the activity of your heart. When you are asleep, your heart rate and blood pressure simultaneously go down. Therefore, sticking to a regular sleep schedule will greatly benefit your heart health.
The long-term side effects of poor sleep can negatively affect your heart, such as reduced motivation to be physically active and increased stress levels. However, a sufficient night’s sleep can actually help to boost your immune system, prevent weight gain and strengthen your heart.
Just like your immune system, your heart needs adequate sleep in order for it to operate and function properly.
How To Maintain Healthier Sleep?
It is recommended that you:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekends included.
Sleep in a dark, quiet room set at a comfortable temperature.
Ban electronic devices from the bedroom. These can interfere with sleep.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and large meals before hitting the pillow.
Exercise during the day. Physical activity during the day (not too close to bedtime) makes it easier to fall asleep that night.
At FusionSleep®, we have dedicated our entire medical practice to helping patients get their lives back through healthy sleep. We offer various sleep solutions, in-lab and at-home sleep testing options, and virtual appointments on our established telemedicine platform. Contact us today on our website or by calling 678.990.3962.