Show your heart some love – put it to bed

If your favorite saying is “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” pay attention. Sleep boosts memory and mood, keeps your weight in check, fortifies your immune system, reduces inflammation and keeps your blood vessels, heart and other organs lean and healthy. Our fragile hearts need constant attention to stay healthy, happy and whole.

During sleep, you’re body works hard to repair damaged tissues, manufacture life-sustaining hormones and catalog memories from the previous day. Skip sleep and you’re ability to handle stress (physical, mental and emotional) and learn new skills is severely diminished. People who sleep less than 6 hours a night don’t spend enough time in the deepest stages of sleep and are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than those who clock at least 7 hours. Sleep deprivation is a costly habit.

Instead of an 8-hour sentence in a void of nothingness, sleep may actually be the magic bullet to a longer, heart-healthier life. Heart disease is no laughing matter and we’re dedicating this post to helping your heart stay healthier.

If you’re one of the many people who toss and turn nightly, you already know that a bout of sleeplessness can hamper your productivity and sap your quality of life. But the ramifications of poor sleep extend far beyond a cranky mood. Research shows that an on-going sleep deficit can ultimately endanger your heart health.

The relationship between poor sleep and health issues is strong – do you know how to protect yourself?

Do you know how to make your heart healthy and happy? Start by making sleep a top priority.

A growing body of scientific data confirms that poor sleep quality can seriously impact your cardiovascular wellness – short term and long term. According to one British study, just a single night of disrupted sleep is enough to make your blood vessels less flexible, which can raise the risk of heart disease. The good news is getting enough rest each night can reverse the problem.

That’s just one of the consequences of poor sleep. It’s also linked to the development of high blood pressure, a risk factor linked to cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death among Americans).

With 40% of American adults getting less than the recommended amount of 7-9 hours of sleep each night, a large portion of the population is at risk to develop heart disease as they age. And as the average amount of time spent sleeping has steadily declined decade over decade, the situation is getting worse, not better.

“Sleep is an often overlooked key to a healthy heart,” says Chris Brantner, certified sleep science coach at SleepZoo. “Regardless of age, weight, or smoking habits, people who are sleep deprived are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Studies suggest that people who get fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke as people who get 6-8 hours.”

Connecting the dots from poor sleep to heart disease

How does sleep impact your heart? There’s a myriad of ways. Sleep-starved people have higher levels of stress hormones and inflammation – both key players in heart disease.

Studies also confirm that the link between heart disease and obesity is a close one – as is the relationship between obesity and poor quality of sleep. Tired, sleep-deprived people tend to make poorer food choices, opting for sweet, fatty foods instead of fruits and vegetables.

Further studies have shown that women are more at risk for heart disease than men if they don’t get enough sleep. Researchers involved in a Journal of Psychiatric Research study found that women who reported poor sleep quality had more inflammation linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke than men who also reported less than ideal sleeping habits.

“Sleep provides the restorative resources for the body to recover from the day’s activities and prepare for the next,” explains Dr. Marc Leavey, primary care internist, Mercy Personal Physicians at Lutherville, Maryland. “Although the mechanisms are not clear, research has shown that those who do not get a good night’s sleep exhibit higher rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and strokes. Both the quality and quantity of sleep should be as close to ideal as possible.”

Late nights and disrupted sleep routines that cut two hours from the optimal night’s sleep is associated with increased levels of coronary artery calcification, which may well be involved in the development of coronary artery disease. According to Dr. Leavey, every hour cut from the night can increase mortality risk by 15%.

Another clue to potential heart health issues is sleep apnea. It’s a dangerous condition that causes pauses in breathing 5 to 30 seconds per hour during sleep. It causes disruptive slumber and is associated with high blood pressure, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure, according to the American Heart Association.