IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP 

A recent study suggests that the quality of one's sleep can be just as important as the amount of sleep they get. In addition to getting an adequate amount of sleep, one must take into consideration their ease of falling asleep, their regularity of sleep, and their ability to feel well-rested when they wake up in order to improve one's heart health to the best extent possible.

Since sleep is a vital component of our health, the American Heart Association has decided to include it in a cardiovascular health check list that consists of diet and exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and tobacco use.

Why Good Sleep Is Good For The Heart

While one sleeps, the body repairs cells and tissues. This means that, like the rest of the body, the cardiovascular system and the heart itself repair themselves while one sleeps. In addition to cell and tissue repair, heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly in order to reduce the workload of the heart. This allows the cardiovascular system to relax for a period of time. Along with the repair and regeneration process of the body and the relaxation of one's cardiovascular system that happens while one sleeps, a good night's sleep also allows one to destress. When one is asleep, one's body makes hormones that control one's blood sugar levels, feelings of fullness and hunger, and one's stress levels. Sleep deprivation can greatly contribute to hormone imbalance, which may, in turn, cause high blood pressure, stress levels, and more that can adversely affect one's heart health.

The Effects Of Poor Sleep On The Cardiovascular System

While being able to get an adequate amount of sleep can have numerous benefits for one's cardiovascular system, being unable to get good sleep can be incredibly harmful to one's cardiovascular system. According to research, poor sleep makes one more prone to developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arrhythmia, obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Poor sleep can also cause inflammation in the cardiovascular system that may lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can lead to stroke or heart attack due to the plaque that builds up on one's arteries, which narrows them and restricts blood flow.

Our cardiothoracic surgeons are skilled and can manage most cardiovascular diseases, including ones that require a life-saving procedure. Although certain procedures regarding the cardiothoracic area might be easy or difficult, the experienced cardiothoracic surgeons here at CTVS in the hospital are available to assist you with any emergency or elective cardiothoracic procedures that you may need to deal with. Despite this, we do recommend that you engage in healthy behaviors in order to prevent yourself from having to deal with any of the problems mentioned above. One such behavior is making sure you get at least 7-9 hours of sleep in a day.

Sleep And Heart Health: Ways To Improve Yours

·         Get at least 7-9 hours of quality hours of sleep per night.

·         Try to go to sleep at the same time every night if you can.

·         Make sure your sleeping environment is comfortable and not too hot or bright.

·         Avoid drinking coffee and looking at screens before you go to bed.

If you find yourself waking up exceptionally tired even when you get good amounts of sleep or find yourself extremely tired throughout the day, it is best to talk to a specialist about your sleeping patterns because there may be something wrong with them.

Along with treating cardiovascular diseases, we here at CTVS recommend you participate in healthy activities as a means of diminishing the chances that you might develop any cardiovascular diseases.