HOW SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN AFFECT YOUR HEART HEALTH

Substantial evidence demonstrates that sleeping problems, including sleep deprivation and fragmented sleep, have negative effects on heart health.

Sleep is an essential time for the body to recuperate. During the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages, heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and breathing stabilizes. These changes reduce stress on the heart, allowing it to recover from strain that occurs during waking hours.

Without sufficient nightly sleep, a person doesn’t spend enough time in the deep stages of NREM sleep that benefit the heart. The same problem can affect people whose sleep is frequently interrupted. As a result, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to numerous heart problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, obesity, diabetes, and stroke.

According to Sleep Foundation, during normal, healthy sleep, blood pressure drops by around 10-20% which is called nocturnal dipping, and this plays a huge role in cardiovascular health. When a person is not able to sleep properly, this nocturnal dipping is absent which means a person’s blood pressure doesn’t go down at night. Studies have found that elevated night-time blood pressure is tied to overall hypertension - which is a risk factor for heart diseases.

Research has found that sleep deprivation contributes to atherosclerosis. Plaque forms as a consequence of inflammation, which involves white blood cells, which are produced by the immune system, to collect in the arteries. Poor sleep triggers chronic inflammation, which contributes to plaque formation and hardening of the arteries. The impact of sleep deprivation on coronary heart disease is also believed to be influenced by sleep’s effects on blood pressure

When the heart doesn’t pump enough blood to supply the body with the blood and oxygen that it needs to function properly, it leads to heart failure. An observational study of over 400,000 people found strong associations between sleeping problems and heart failure

Sleep deprivation heightens the risk of heart attacks. In one study, people sleeping less than six hours per night had a 20% higher chance of a heart attack. While the NREM sleep stage helps the heart slow down and recover, REM sleep involves heightened stress and activity. Insufficient sleep can throw off the balance of these stages, increasing heart attack risk.

In research studies, lack of sleep has been correlated with a greater likelihood of having a stroke. Sleep deprivation increases blood pressure, and high blood pressure is considered to be the leading risk factor for strokes. In addition, by contributing to plaque buildup in the arteries, insufficient sleep may make it easier for blockages to occur and cause mini-strokes or strokes.