Do Your Heart a Favor: Get a Good Night’s Sleep
The heart is a fragile organ that requires continuous bouts of rest or a regular beat. It is part of keeping it healthy and minimizing the risk of heart-related conditions. However, people are getting less and less sleep in the recent past. Those who get a chance to sleep do but not in a way that they entirely rest before waking up!
How do you know how much time you need to sleep?
Medical research indicates that an average adult should have approximately 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day. However, the number of hours varies from one individual to another.
So, how do you know you have had enough sleep?
Resting through a specific period and you wake to feel well-rested, energetic, and in charge, then you have had a good night’s sleep. Another indicator is waking around your waking hours without prodding or an alarm clock. However, if you are groggy, exhausted, and want to continue sleeping, then you need more hours in bed. Other sleep deprivation indicators are the inability to fall asleep or waking up in the middle of the night and failing to fall back asleep.
How does sleep deprivation affect your heart?
Studies show that not having enough sleep or going through the whole sleep cycle can negatively affect your heart. Inadequate sleep can cause an increase in calcium deposits present in your arteries. Calcium is an essential mineral in the body, but too much of it is risky.
Calcium deposits result in plaque formation, which can hinder the flow of flood through the vessels. It can limit the amount of oxygen reaching the heart and can cause a heart attack. The study shows that losing an hour of sleep each day leads to a 33% increase in the arteries’ calcium deposits.
Inadequate sleep also affects the production of hormones responsible for suppressing your appetite levels. The absence of these hormones results in rapid weight gain, which further causes sleep deprivation. If not convinced, you should ask yourself, “How many times you have had sugary snacks or heavily caffeinated drinks to help you pull through the day?”
The study conducted indicated an increase in ghrelin production. A reduction in the hormone leptin was also a significant concern. These are the hormones that control your body’s metabolism rates. Those participants who had a smooth sleep and rested well have normal levels of both hormones. When asked about favorite foods during their sleepless periods, most indicated they loved partaking in ice cream.
Does this affect individuals who do not get enough sleep only?
Studies show that even those who sleep for more than the indicated number of hours suffer the same effects. They also risk getting a heart condition, suffering lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, and more.
What do you do not to sleep too much or too little and have excellent heart health?
The first step is to identify and accept that you either do not sleep or sleep too much. Understanding that quality sleep is not all about getting to bed and closing your eyes is essential. So here are some of the best ways to ensure you get a good night’s sleep and improve your heart health.
1. Recognize sleep problems you are suffering
The first step towards identifying whether you have a sleep problem is knowing the symptoms. These include waking up tired or weary, struggling to remain lucid when working or driving to work, snoring which disturbs your bed partner, or waking up during the night and finding it hard to fall bask asleep.
Some of these are easy to identify except for the snoring part. Ask your bed partner if your snore, chock, or fail to breathe for a moment and resume with a choking sound. If that is a symptom, then you suffer sleep apnea and need medical attention. Speak to medical professionals about all the other symptoms and find a way to remedy each.
2. Exercise bedtime routine
Identifying an appropriate time to go to bed and wake up can help with your sleep problems. Having a routine, you go through when going to bed can help condition your mind to sleep. You can change your day clothes to pajamas or undershirt (anything you are comfortable sleeping in and is warm).
Practicing this routine daily and keeping the time cues your mind. Once you start, you sleep within 15 minutes after getting into bed.
3. Keep the bedroom sleep-friendly
Remove any items from your bedroom that may distract you from your one agenda (rest). Some of the top items in this list include electronics such as television and bright lights. Using your E-reader a few minutes before starting your sleep routine is a distraction. Avoid too much sunlight by making the room darker, which exudes sleep.
If allergic to dust and small particles such as rugs resulting in a runny or stuffy nose, keep your room clean or carpets. Change your beddings on a regular schedule and clean the room now and then. Ask for allergy medication from your medical professional and use it as prescribed.
4. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks and workout some more
Alcohol and caffeine are sleep resistant drinks. If you have alcohol at night, you do not sleep more or rest. You wake with a hangover and feel tired throughout the day. Taking too much caffeine during the day manifests during the night. Caffeine takes approximately six hours to become active and leave your body system. Therefore, could you take it in moderation?
Exercising might save you sleepless nights. Partake in a few routines during the day and experience a good night’s sleep. However, make sure you get an ‘okay’ from a medical professional before commencing in a routine, especially under heart medications.
Summary
It is essential to know that sleeplessness can result in heart conditions, and the opposite is also true. Therefore, taking care of one helps remedy the situation of the other. Good night sleep will ensure better heart health. A good heart health status saves from lifestyle conditions helping you maintain your sleep and rest. If you are on the lookout for a good place to check-up for any signs related to heart disease, then South Florida cardiovascular specialist clinic is the place to go to. Schedule an appointment today.
