Sleep well to keep your heart healthy

We all know how important good sleep is for your general health in day to day life. A good sleep replenishes your lost energy and makes you ready to go all guns blazing to work next day. However, if you’re having trouble getting right amounts of sleep at night, it may also reflect on your health and day-to-day work. A good night sleep is quintessential for your body and now researchers have found that sleep and heart disorders may be related.


Research

A research done by University of Chicago claims that sleep deprivation can lead to calcium build up in heart arteries which in turn develops plaques inside. There is a high risk of these plaques breaking inside and thereby triggering a heart attack. According to the research, lack of sleep can shoot up the levels of coronary calcium to as high as 16 percent. 27 percent of people sleeping less than five hours on an average were detected with development of plaque in the heart.
In a similar study done at the Harvard University 70,000 women aged between 45 and 65 were put under observation to understand the link between sleep and a healthy heart. It was found that women who slept less than five hours on an average were 40 percent more susceptible to heart diseases.



Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is a sleeping disorder that has been found to be inter-related with heart attacks. Apnoea refers to pauses in breathing while sleeping something which can happen hundreds of times in a night. People suffering from OSA are more susceptible to coronary artery disease. OSA can be a cause to hypertension, which can limit the flow of blood to the heart and thereby also limiting the flow of oxygen to it.



Power naps are good for your heart

We have seen in recent times that doctors are stressing on the importance of power naps. A power nap for about half an hour replenishes your energy and reduces stress. We all now that stress and hypertension are inter-related and power naps can be the best way to rid you of stress.

Sleep and blood pressure

In case you’re suffering from sleep deprivation and extra hour of sleep will help in reducing yoursystolic blood pressure by 16.5mm Hg. It is important to have periods of low blood pressure throughout the day and especially at night when you’re asleep. This means that you’re more relaxed, which is good for your heart.
The above evidence shows that sleep and heart are intertwined and the relationship between the two cannot be ignored. Try to take initiative and sort out your sleeping problems, in case you have any.