You don’t need a doctor to tell you that a good night’s sleep just makes you feel good. And not sleeping well — even for one night — can darken your mood and cause poor focus and drowsiness.
But did you know that poor sleep also affects your cardiovascular health?
Consistently poor sleep can increase your risk for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and arterial plaque buildup, all of which are bad for the heart.
One in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep, according to the American Heart Association. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, while teens and younger kids need even more.
Clarisse Glen, MD, a sleep specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, California, describes how long-lasting lack of sleep can hurt the heart. She also provides tips on getting better sleep.
How does poor sleep or lack of sleep affect the heart?
People who don’t get enough sleep or who wake up often can have a spike in their heart rates and blood pressure. In the long run this can lead to a heart attack or other cardiac event.
We see this especially with patients who have sleep apnea. Those patients have pauses in breathing during sleep, which cause oxygen levels to drop. The oxygen dip causes inflammation that can result in plaque buildup in your arteries. If you regularly sleep less than 6 hours a night, you have a significant risk of heart attack.
Sleep is a time when the body slows down and relaxes. During sleep, your blood pressure falls, and your heart is not working as hard as when you’re awake. This helps restore your mind and body.
When you don’t sleep well, a fight-or-flight response kicks in, releasing the hormone cortisol, which also can increase your risk for heart disease. Additionally, a lack of sleep can activate hormones that trigger overeating and a desire for higher-calorie foods. That can result in weight gain and may eventually lead to obesity.
