Sleep for a strong heart, sleep for good health

Not only is getting enough sleep important for your energy levels, but it's also good for your heart. An irregular sleep schedule takes a toll on the heart. It is essential to get 6to 8 hours of sleep to keep the heart strong and healthy, say doctors on the eve of World Sleep Day.

The number of people with heart problems is increasing at a rapid rate. The common risk factors for heart disease are smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. But there is also an association between poor sleep and heart problems. Poor sleep habits can negatively impact blood pressure and increase the chances of heart failure and heart attacks.

Dr Bipeenchandra Bhamre, a consultant cardiac surgeon at Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai said, “Those who are sleep-deprived tend to have an elevated heart rate and stress levels. Sleep is the process of rejuvenating ourselves. Not sleeping properly will raise CRP or C-reactive protein, which is released owing to stress and inflammation. Lack of sleep will mean that the blood pressure will be elevated for a longer time and invite heart problems or stroke. Poor sleep triggers chronic inflammation that causes plaque formation and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). These people can in long term, suffer coronary heart disease (CHD).”

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Dr Narayan Gadkar, Cardiologist, Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Mumbai, added, “Irregular sleep patterns can impact the heart. Lack of sleep can lead to unhealthy weight gain which can later lead to heart problems. Insufficient sleep contributes to problems with blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease, heart failure, heart attacks, diabetes, and stroke. Getting good sleep will prevent damage to the cardiovascular system. Hypertension tends to strain the arteries, and they will be unable to supply blood to the heart. This causes heart disease.”

Dr Bhamre added, “Adhere to a good sleep routine. Make sure you sleep and wake up at the same time on a daily basis. Normally you should sleep early before 11 pm. Don’t eat or drink coffee within a few hours of bedtime. Try to avoid alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar before sleeping. There should be a gap of 2 hours between food and sleep. To sleep peacefully, try to keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. One needs to sleep for at least 8 hours every day.”

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