Pulmonology | by BMB | Published on 25/07/2022
How often do you think about your heart health and how much are you willing to do for it? In today’s time, when heart problems are on the rise, it is extremely important for all of us to prioritize our heart health and make necessary changes in our daily routines. When we speak of a healthy lifestyle, people usually think of exercising and eating mindfully. But, a healthy lifestyle goes beyond these simple things and includes a proper sleep cycle as well. Just like your body needs nutrition and exercise, it needs rest as well and the best way to do it is by making sure that you are getting enough sleep. So, if you have been treating it like a luxury, it’s time you realize that your sleep is a necessity.
The way your sleep pattern affects your heart is so strong that experts from all the best heart hospitals in Kolkata lay emphasis on it. The heart works 24/7 to ensure a healthy circulation of blood throughout the body and ensure that every organ is getting enough blood. It is but natural for your heart to get tired while doing its job and just like us, our heart needs rest too. The sleep cycle has different stages and during the NREM or non-rapid eye movement stage, our heart rate becomes slower than usual. This gives our heart the time to recharge itself and recover from the daily wear and tear. When you do not get proper sleep, you spend very little to no time in each stage of the sleep cycle, including NREM. It doesn’t really matter whether you are waking up frequently at night or not able to fall asleep in the first place, if your sleeping hours are low, it is naturally going to affect every stage of the cycle. This is quite likely to result in hypertension or other potentially serious or chronic heart problems.
Blood pressure - When you are sleeping peacefully, your blood pressure is likely to decrease by 10 to 20 percent. Commonly referred to as nocturnal dipping, this is extremely important for the well-being of the heart, as well as the blood vessels. If you are not getting enough sleep or experience frequent sleep disruptions, your blood pressure won’t dip as it should and this is eventually going to increase the risks of hypertension. Surprisingly, your heart problems are much more easily predicted by nocturnal blood pressure as compared to daytime blood pressure. Not only blood pressure but it has also been associated with other problems like stroke and heart attack.
Coronary heart disease - CAD is one of the most common heart problems and a leading cause of death worldwide. The condition is marked by the disrupted circulation of blood in the body, which is usually due to the development of plaque. This can cause the arteries to become stiff and narrow. This is known as atherosclerosis and as a result of this, the heart doesn’t get enough nutrients and oxygen. It has been seen that sleep deprivation can add to the problem as it promotes inflammation, and the same has also been associated with the buildup of white blood cells in the arteries. It is these white cells that gradually result in plaque formation.
Heart failure - The condition is marked by the inability of the heart to efficiently pump blood to different organs of the body. It is a serious problem that carries life-threatening risks and may even call for the need for a heart transplant. A study was conducted in which 4,00,000 people were observed and it was found that there is a very close relationship between sleep-related problems and heart failure. It was clearly seen that people who did not get 7 hours or more of sleep at night were more likely to have heart failure as compared to those who got enough sleep. Even experts specialing in Heart failure treatment and CABG surgery in Kolkata are of the same opinion.
If you wish to know more about various kinds of heart diseases and how you can negate the risks of the same, consult the experts from the best hospital in Kolkata, today.