Sleep Deprivation and Heart Health
Being sleep-deprived, especially over a long period of time, can put you at risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. One of the reasons this might occur is the fact that not getting enough sleep can cause blood pressure to increase. Having high blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
What Sleep Disorders Can Come from Lack of Sleep?
Other kinds of sleep disorders that lead to poor quality sleep can also affect your heart. Not getting enough sleep due to insomnia is just one of the conditions that can lead to sleep deprivation. You can also end up with poor sleep quality or a lack of sleep due to sleep apnea. This condition causes you to wake up several times throughout the night due to breathing issues. This can disrupt your sleep and prevent you from reaching the deeper, restorative stages of sleep.
Benefits of Sleep on the Heart
Being able to get enough sleep and have good sleep quality does more than lower your risk of heart problems. Good quality sleep means that your heart doesn’t have to work as hard while you are sleeping. This can help keep your blood pressure levels under control and reduce the risk of wear and tear on your heart. When you get poor sleep quality or not enough sleep, your heart rate can stay elevated at night instead of going down, which increases the risk of having heart problems.
Options for Sleep Deprivation
It’s important to find out the causes of your sleep problems and work on ways to improve your sleep quality and quantity. Seeing a sleep specialist can help you determine the underlying cause of sleep deprivation, such as stress or a medical condition. Depending on the cause, you can take steps to get more sleep and better sleep. This might mean managing a medical condition, making changes to your everyday habits, reducing stress or improving your sleep environment.
If you have been struggling with sleep deprivation, please contact eos sleep to set up an appointment. Our board-certified sleep specialists can provide the most effective treatment to improve your sleep and overall health.