Sleep And Your Heart
Can poor sleep affect your heart? Our Health Writer, Colleen Shannon, asks the experts.
SLEEP has always been one of life’s mysteries, but we are quickly learning how important it is for the human body. One area of keen interest in the medical world right now is the link between sleep and heart health.
Dr Michelle A. Miller, Reader of Biochemical Medicine at the University of Warwick, is a top researcher in this field, so I asked her to bring us up to date on the science.
She explained that in a number of studies, short sleep has been linked to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Poor sleepers also reported worse overall health, and had an increased risk of a shorter lifespan.
In one of her own studies, people who slept less than five to six hours per night had a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. In this study, those who slept nine hours or more also appeared to have a higher risk.
There are probably many reasons why the heart could be affected by sleep.
Dr Miller explained that the heart and blood vessels are repaired during sleep. Missing out on sleep seems to be linked to inflammation, which plays a role in heart disease.
Emily Mcgrath, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, mentioned some other possible explanations. Good-quality sleep gives your heart a rest and decreases its workload, because your blood pressure and heart rate go down at night.
We tend to focus on how long we’re asleep, she added, but sleep quality is just as important. Getting up in the night, perhaps to go to the loo, can interrupt your sleep cycles. It helps to have a regular bedtime routine and drink most of your liquids during the day.
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist Dr Ali Khavandi from BMI Bath Clinic, and founder of cardiologistskitchen.com, told me more about the body clock’s effects.
People who sleep less have higher levels of stress hormones, and their bodies don’t manage their blood sugar levels as effectively.
While good sleep is an important part of a heart-friendly lifestyle, he adds, it is only part of the story. Some of the sleep studies included hospital staff and shift workers, who could have been affected by irregular hours, low exposure to sunlight or a poor diet. Being under a lot of stress can also affect your heart.
Dr Khavandi suggests exercise as an excellent way to improve your heart health, sleep and overall wellbeing. It can also help with stress and depression, which are common culprits when it comes to both insomnia and heart disease.
Aim for half an hour of exercise every day, and follow a healthy diet. These are changes that are in your control: they might have a knock-on effect on your sleep and they’ll certainly help your heart stay stronger.
Why not get started now? You can find lots of exercise and diet advice in the British Heart Foundation’s Heart Matters magazine. Look online at www.bhf.org. uk/heart-matters-magazine/wellbeing or call the Heart Helpline on
0300 330 3311. n