The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Heart
Even though doctors recommend about eight hours of sleep every day, many people have reasons to stay awake long after bedtime. If you are a busy person, you may not see your lack of sleep as a problem. You may consider it as an opportunity to achieve more of your objectives. However, whether you suffer from sleep deprivation, other sleep disorders, or intentionally depriving yourself of quality sleep, which can also lead to sleeping problems over time, there are specific dangers in not having enough sleep. Among them is its effects on the heart. A medical research review shows that people who are not getting enough sleep are 48 percent more likely to suffer from heart problems than those who sleep well. But before we consider the effect of sleep on the heart, let’s look at the function of sleep on our bodies.
Why Do We Sleep?
There is no doubt you become more active and energetic after having a quality sleep. After the day’s activities, all our organs get tired. Sleep helps to revitalize them. It’s like recharging your body cells. Sleep helps all parts of the body; hence lack of sleep will also affect every part of the body. If you don’t have enough sleep, it will significantly affect the brain, consequently altering the way many organs in your body function. Some of the adverse effects of sleep deprivation can be suspected almost immediately. But you may not realize some of these effects until it has caused havoc.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Heart
The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. Therefore, heart health should be taken as a priority. If you intentionally deprive yourself of quality sleep, the gains can never be worth the harm it could do to your heart. Studies have shown that your breathing during sleep is stable, and your blood pressure drops. This makes the heart do lesser work in pumping the blood and hence recuperates from strains. Having this opportunity regularly is good for the heart. But if you deprive it, then your heart may not be able to recover fully from strain after the day’s stress. This may lead to various heart conditions. Possible effects of lack of sleep on the cardiovascular system include:
• High Blood Pressure
As stated earlier, sleep allows the blood pressure to drop so that there will be less stress on the heart. Research shows that if you are constantly having poor sleep, your blood pressure will remain elevated, even during the short period you sleep. This may eventually increase your daytime blood pressure and can lead to hypertension.
• Irregular Heartbeat
Your body has programmed itself to reduce heartbeat while sleeping and then increase it back to normal when you are about to wake up, especially if you have sufficient sleep. If you wake up abruptly, the body will struggle to raise the heart rate back to normal, leading to irregular heartbeats. Studies reveal that people who have lower hours of sleep every day are at higher risk of experiencing irregular heart rate.
• Chest Pain
The two conditions discussed above can trigger chest pain. If your sleep is disturbed, the blood pressure and heart rate will rapidly and irregularly increase. This may cause chest pain. However, there are also many other causes of chest pain that are not related to the heart or sleep.
• Increased Insulin Resistance
Studies have shown that inadequate sleep can increase the risk of insulin resistance. The body uses insulin to regulate blood sugar. Insulin resistance means the body will not properly regulate blood sugar, a condition that usually leads to type 2 diabetes and may also cause heart problems.
• Increase in Cholesterol Level
Research shows that people who sleep for less than six hours a day usually have a high level of bad LDL cholesterol and a low level of good HDL cholesterol. Excess LDL cholesterol in the body can cause coronary artery disease and other heart problems.
• Coronary Artery Disease
When the blood pressure increases, the arteries are strained and may not transport blood effectively. This may lead to the build-up of plaques in the arteries making them stiffer and narrower. If this happens in the coronary artery, the artery that supplies the heart with blood, oxygen, and nutrients, it will lead to coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is the primary cause of heart failure and also contributes to many other cardiovascular problems.
• Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when blood does not flow to the heart. There are many ways sleep deprivation can contribute to this condition. This includes erratic heart rate usually observed by sudden sleep disruption. Sleep disruption can also increase heart strain leading to a heart attack. Coronary artery disease, linked with insufficient sleep, is another primary reason blood may not get to the heart, hence inducing a heart attack.
• Heart Failure
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively. It is among the leading causes of death in many countries across the globe. Lack of sleep has been linked with heart failure. People who sleep for less than seven hours a day are more likely to suffer heart failure than those who have regular quality sleep. Heart failure is usually a result of coronary artery disease, which can arise when you don’t have enough sleep.
• Increased Stress
A high level of stress has been linked with various heart conditions, including heart attack and heart failure. If you are not having enough sleep, the chances are high that your stress level will be increased, and that may induce heart problems.
• Inactivity
Insomnia and other causes of lack of sleep can also make you inactive. Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle is not good for the heart. For the heart to be adequately strengthened, it requires being active. A sedentary lifestyle will weaken the heart and may trigger various heart problems.
• Other Effects
Poor sleep has been associated with many other dangerous health problems. These include stroke, obesity, kidney problems, type 2 diabetes, and even insufficient blood flow to the brain, consequently damaging the brain cells.
We Can Help You
Heart problem is the leading cause of death in the United States. The earlier it is detected and treated, the easier the treatment will be. Therefore, if you have sleep disorders or you observe any issue with the cardiovascular system, do not delay; seek medical assistance immediately. Luckily, we can help you. We have a team of top experts with many years of experience treating heart problems and other related health issues. Therefore, do not hesitate. Contact us today, and we will be glad to help you.
Conclusion
Lack of quality sleep has many side effects; unfortunately, many people are suffering from it. Among the ill effects of sleep deprivation are hypertension, chest pain, irregular heart rate, and increased cholesterol level. Other critical conditions linked with sleep deprivation include heart attack, heart failure, obesity, kidney problem, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and brain damage. People with sleeping problems will also likely get stressed up, thereby negatively affecting the heart over time. Indeed, good sleep habits, also called sleep hygiene, is good for the heart and the overall body health. Likewise, it would be helpful for people with heart problems to always maintain a good sleep pattern to enhance speedy recovery.
