Summary: The American Heart Association has added sleep to its checklist of things that shape heart health. Like diet, exercise, body weight and blood fats, enough sleep is now needed to keep a healthy heart. New studies show poor sleep can affect the heart both directly and indirectly.
Most people know that obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are some of the significant risk factors for heart disease. But few know that sleep disorders can also contribute significantly to poor heart health.
People know far less about the harm of too little sleep than about high blood pressure or high cholesterol. So they may miss the risks of poor sleep. They keep ignoring it and do nothing to sleep better.
New guidelines by the American Heart Association have added sleep to the cardiovascular health checklist. Researchers now see that sleep matters as much as diet, exercise, a healthy body weight, blood pressure, and so on.
Sleep is now known as a risk factor for many health problems. Studies also show sleep problems are on the rise. A new survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that more than half of Americans often have trouble sleeping. Some have trouble falling asleep. Others sleep fewer hours. Some wake up too often at night. Doctors now say better sleep may be one of the simplest ways to help the heart.
Poor sleep can harm the heart in more than one way. People who sleep less are more likely to eat high-calorie food or junk food. They have more mood swings. Over time, they gain weight. Studies also show more high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in people who sleep too little. There could be many reasons for this link, like changes in brain health, changes in the nervous system, more sympathetic activity (the body’s fight-or-flight drive), and more.
During sleep, every body function slows down. That is thanks to a rise in parasympathetic activity (the body’s rest-and-digest system). This system lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate, and so on. When you are awake, the sympathetic system raises blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and more. Studies show that thanks to the parasympathetic system at night, most people’s blood pressure dips by 10% or more. Researchers call this the “nocturnal dip,” and it is good for the heart. This “nocturnal dip” even helps lower blood pressure during the day. But people who are not well rested do not get this effect.
That is not all. New studies suggest poor sleep can harm the heart in other ways. It can change immunity and raise inflammation. That raises the risk of atherosclerosis (hardened, clogged arteries).
Researchers say sleep disorders are not just about too little sleep. They are also about broken sleep. Even if you sleep long enough, waking often may still harm your heart. Changes in the circadian rhythm (the body’s daily clock) explain this.
At night, you pass through several sleep cycles. If sleep breaks up often, the body cannot control inflammation and do its repair work as well. This raises the risk of chronic health disorders, including heart problems.
New studies now show that inflammation is one of the early signs of cardiovascular disease. It now appears that too little sleep or broken sleep is among the significant causes of this low-grade inflammation. Poor sleep also raises stress hormones.
Finally, researchers see more and more evidence that sleep shapes how well medical treatments work. Studies show good sleep may make vaccines work better. People who sleep well also respond better to cancer therapy. So people who sleep well will likely get more out of the drugs used to prevent and manage heart disease. The bottom line from researchers: for a healthy heart, you need a good night’s sleep.
Frequently asked questions
How does sleep affect heart health?
Sleep affects the heart directly and indirectly. During sleep the parasympathetic nervous system lowers blood pressure and heart rate. That gives the heart a nightly rest. Poor sleep takes that rest away. It raises inflammation and stress hormones and changes immunity, which raises the risk of atherosclerosis. It also pushes people toward high-calorie food, mood swings and obesity.
Can lack of sleep cause high blood pressure?
Poor sleep is tied to high blood pressure. While sleeping, most people’s blood pressure dips 10% or more. This “nocturnal dip” is driven by the parasympathetic nervous system. That dip is good for the heart and even helps keep daytime blood pressure lower. People who are not well rested do not get the same effect. High blood pressure is more common in those who sleep too little.
Is broken sleep bad for your heart even if you sleep long enough?
Yes. Sleep problems are not only about too few hours. They are also about broken sleep. The body moves through several sleep cycles each night. Waking often breaks up its work of controlling inflammation and making repairs. Even with enough total hours, frequent waking can harm the heart and raise the risk of chronic disease.
Why did the American Heart Association add sleep to its heart health checklist?
Researchers now see sleep as being as important as diet, exercise, body weight and blood pressure. Poor sleep can harm the heart both directly and indirectly. And sleep problems are rising. A survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found more than half of Americans often have trouble sleeping. Better sleep may be one of the simplest ways to protect the heart.
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The content provided herein is not intended to provide assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice; it also does not constitute provision of healthcare services. No information in this content should ever be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional, it is provided for thoughtful discussion, informational and educational purposes only.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
