The bidirectional relationship between heart disease and sleep!!! Will your bedtime decide whether you can become a heart patient or not?

Sleep!!! The human body needs sleep for proper functioning, and in this modern era where everyone is busy in their work, jobs, studies do not get enough sleep. The duration of sleep has decreased to two hours per person per night from the last 60 years.

Not getting enough sleep lead to many health-related problems, which can be fatal and even cause death.

After all, we aren’t machines that can work unstoppably whenever turned on!! Our body needs proper relaxation, and that’s why getting proper sleep is very crucial.

Based on sleeping duration, sleepers can be categorized as: 

  • Short sleepers: who take sleep less than 6 hours.
  • Long sleepers: who take sleep more than 9 hours. 

Sleeping disorders and heart disease are very common these days. Poor sleep is associated with heart disease, as poor sleep is the main contributor to high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity, and diabetes. Poor sleep increases the rate of heart disease.

Not getting enough sleep is not the only contributor; even having more sleep can also lead to heart problems. Interestingly, the ones who sleep nine or more hours a night also showed an increased risk of having heart disease. The short sleepers had nearly 50% higher chances of dying from coronary heart disease, and 15% increased chances of stroke. Whereas, the long sleepers had an even higher risk of stroke at 65% and a lesser risk of coronary heart disease at 38%.

Lack of sleep can also lead to type 2 diabetes, as not getting enough sleep can increase insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes.

Reason for sleep deprivation:

  • Depression
  • Improper Diet
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Stress
  • Work Load
  • Unhealthy lifestyle.

What to do to get a night of good sleep:

  • Keep the bedroom clean, quiet, cool, and dark.
  • Avoid eating meals 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
  • Regular exercise
  • Whenever I feel tired, go to bed.
  • Make a regular sleep/wake schedule (early to bed, early to rise to make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise).
  • Turn off the gadgets(like mobiles, computers) before going to bed.
  • Avoid smoking.
  • Avoid drinks that have high sugar content.
  • Make a habit of going for a morning walk.
  • Get enough natural sunlight, especially in the early morning.
  • Avoid coffee before bedtime.

Sleep is very important for overall health. Good quality sleep decreases the work of your heart as blood pressure, and heart rate goes down at night. Sleep helps the heart vessels to cure and reconstruct, as well as helping in maintaining blood pressure and sugar levels.

Well!!! Whatever the reason for sleeplessness is, do not let this problem dominate you. Good sleep is essential, not a luxury for better cardio and overall health!!!