How To Improve Your Sleep Habits
Do you suffer for a lack of restful sleep? If so, there several things you can do to improve your situation.
- Exercise: Try getting adequate exercise.
- Avoid excess caffeine: Avoid excess stimulants, such as caffeine, particularly before bed as they may keep you awake.
- Establish an evening routine:Have an evening routine of preparing for bed that includes turning off electronic devices and having soothing activities such as a hot shower or bath, recommends Lundberg.Drinking chamomile or herbal sleepy-time tea can also be helpful, as can reading, praying or meditating.
Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.
How Sleep Disorders Affect Heart Health
Sleep apnoea: People with sleep apnoea stop breathing regularly during sleep, and most sufferers are unaware of this.; Oxygen levels drop, carbon dioxide levels increase, and your heart must work hard to jolt the person to start breathing again. If untreated it can cause, or exacerbate, physical, mental and emotional problems such as heart attacks and other cardiovascular disorders, strokes, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, obesity etc.
Insomnia:Insomnia affects getting to sleep, staying asleep or both. At some point we all experience insomnia but it doesnt last and then sleep returns to normal. ;Insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.; Chronic sleep deprivation leads to unhealthy habits and feelings of anxiety which has a knock-on effect on stress levels, the ability to eat well and be motivated to exercise.
Could Heart Palpitations Accompanied By Shortness Of Breath Be Serious
Heart palpitations can certainly be associated with shortness of breath, that is, the two symptoms together without a serious condition being present. That usually indicates that the irregularity of the heart rhythm is significant and may signal the need for a more comprehensive evaluation.
In general, the more serious the symptoms, such as lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, chest pain, shortness of breath, the more seriously one needs to take the problem.
If a patient has known heart disease such as a previous myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure , hypertrophic cardiomyopathy , and others, the symptoms of palpitations will require a thorough evaluation.
You May Like: Vitamin D3 And Heart Palpitations
Sleep Disorders And Heart Health
Many sleep disorders have detrimental effects on heart health. Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders, is often accompanied by insufficient sleep and can lead to elevated cardiovascular health risks.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. People with OSA have lapses in breathing during sleep when their airway gets blocked.
Interrupted breathing from OSA causes fragmented sleep, which is one reason why the condition is tied to multiple cardiovascular problems. In addition, disturbed respiration reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, which may worsen the impacts of OSA on heart health.
Disorders of abnormal movement during sleep, such as restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder, have also been linked to heart problems. While the exact explanation is unknown, it may relate to abnormal activation of the cardiovascular system that occurs with these conditions and induces elevated and fluctuating heart rate and blood pressure.
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders, which occur when a persons internal clock is misaligned with day and night, have been associated with cardiovascular problems. For example, people who work night shifts and have to sleep during the day have heightened risks of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes as well as cardiac events like a stroke or heart attack.
Ii Sleep And Cardiovascular Disease
Sleep and sleep disorders both play a role in cardiovascular disease . The exact role that they play is still not quite clear. One thing that is certain is that there is a higher risk of sudden cardiac death in the first few hours after you wake up. This may be due to the amount of work your heart has to do when your body gets up and moving again. CVD is a leading cause of death in the U.S. It takes the life of nearly 2,600 Americans every day.
Common forms of CVD include the following:
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Congenital heart defects
People with obstructive sleep apnea have been shown to have higher rates of coronary heart disease and strokes. People who have had a heart attack are more likely to have OSA than those without heart disease. It can be even harder for someone to fully recover from a heart attack if their OSA is not treated.
OSA is a sleep disorder that occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat blocks the airway. This is very common, because the muscles inside the throat relax as you sleep. You stop breathing, keeping the oxygen you need from getting to the lungs. When you stop breathing, your body wakes up. It happens so quickly, you aren’t even aware of it. You can stop breathing hundreds of times in one night. Being treated for OSA reduces your risk of death due to CVD.
Read Also: Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate Accuracy
Why Do I Only Get Heart Palpitations At Night
Heart palpitations at night occur when you get the feeling of a strong pulse in your chest, neck, or head after you lay down to sleep. Its important to note that while these may be unsettling, theyre usually normal and arent typically a sign of anything more serious.
If you sleep on your side, you may be more susceptible to heart palpitations at night due to the way your body bends and pressure builds up internally.
The most common form of palpitation unrelated to your heart occurs when bending over, as theres an increase in abdominal pressure that then transports to your esophagus, which is located behind the left atrium of your heart.
Another factor to consider when experiencing palpitations at night is that they may be occurring throughout the day, but youre only noticing them at night due to lower noise levels and reduced distractions as you lie in bed.
The symptoms of heart palpitations can be concerning if theyre unexpected or you havent experienced them before. Symptoms include:
- the feeling of an irregular pulse or that your heart stopped briefly
- a sensation of fluttering in your chest
- a fast or pounding heart rate
Short and infrequent palpitations at night are generally not a cause for alarm. According to the Mayo Clinic, theyre usually harmless.
However, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience heart palpitations along with any of the following symptoms:
Weird Things That Can Mess With Your Heartbeat
Learn the top triggers of heart palpitations, plus what to do about each one.
A few weeks ago I thought I was having a heart attack. My morning started out normal: I woke up at my usual hour, feeling what I thought was a little bit of tiredness. But as I went about my morning routine, things grew scary. I broke out in a cold sweat as I brushed my teeth. My skin turned white as paper. And then, scariest of all: my heart was pounding like crazy. As a health writer I know these aren’t textbook signs of a heart attack, but I also know that dangerous cardiovascular events in women can be more subtle than those in men.
Later that day I went to urgent care, but an EKG and blood tests showed nothing out of the ordinary. Turns out my heartbeat went haywire as a result of a side effect from a medication. The technical term for this: heart palpitations, which can be brought on by many things.
RELATED: I Had a Perfectly Normal EKG at My Check-Upand the Next Day I Had a Heart Attack
When a person says theyre having heart palpitations theyre referring to a sensation of their heart beating differently. Or they may simply have an awareness of their heart beating, explains Shephal Doshi, MD, director of cardiac electrophysiology at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
Learn about some top triggers of palpitations, plus what to do about them.
RELATED: 9 Subtle Signs You Could Have a Heart Problem
You May Like: Does Acid Reflux Cause Heart Palpitations
What Health Conditions Are Linked To A Lack Of Sleep
Adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression.3;Some of these health problems raise the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. These health problems include:
- High blood pressure.;During normal sleep, your blood pressure goes down. Having sleep problems means your blood pressure stays higher for a longer period of time.4;High blood pressure is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke. About 75 million Americans1 in 3 adultshave high blood pressure.5
- Type 2 diabetes.;Diabetes is a disease that causes sugar to build up in your blood, a condition that can damage your blood vessels. Some studies show that getting enough good sleep may help people improve blood sugar control.6
- Obesity.;Lack of sleep can lead to unhealthy weight gain. This is especially true for children and adolescents, who need more sleep than adults. Not getting enough sleep may affect a part of the brain that controls hunger.6
How Does Lack Of Sleep Affect The Heart
We need good quality sleep for a healthy heart.
Research has found that those who frequently get fewer than six hours a night are at significantly increased risk of stroke and heart disease, with evidence that not sleeping enough may ramp up the fight or flight response to stress, releasing hormones that speed up heart rate and raise blood pressure.
When we are sleep deprived the heart rate remains elevated, rather than fluctuating normally , insulin resistance is increased and can increase CRP which is released with stress and inflammation.
You May Like: How Much Blood Does An Adult Heart Pump Every Day
Sleep Tips For People With Heart Problems
While theres no silver bullet solution, certain tips can often help people with heart problems get better sleep.
- Develop strategies for relaxation: If heart concerns spur anxiety, they can keep your mind racing when you just want to ease into sleep. Techniques like deep breathing, yoga, light stretching, and mindfulness meditation are just a few beneficial approaches for people struggling with how to sleep with pericarditis , heart disease, or other heart problems that cause chest pain.
- Plan a consistent sleep schedule: Keeping the same bedtime and wake-up time every day is widely considered to be one of the key ways to encourage healthy and stable sleep from night to night.
- Design an accommodating bedroom: Set your sleep environment to meet your needs by ensuring that the bedroom has a comfortable mattress and pillow, a pleasant temperature, and as much quiet and darkness as possible.
- Avoid negative influences on sleep: Alcohol and caffeine can both interfere with sleep and are best avoided at night. Excessive use of electronic devices, including your cell phone, can also throw off your sleep patterns, which is why experts recommend not using these devices for an hour or more before bed.
These tips and other elements of sleep hygiene can serve as a foundation for better sleep, creating habits that make it easier to get both the quantity and quality of sleep that you need.
Sleep Boosts Mental Wellbeing
Given that a single sleepless night can make you irritable and moody the following day, it’s not surprising that chronic sleep debt may lead to long-term mood disorders like clinical depression and generalised anxiety disorder in adults.
When people with anxiety or depression were surveyed to calculate their sleeping habits, it turned out that most of them slept for less than 6 hours a night.
Also Check: Acid Reflux Heart Fluttering
Complementarity Of Heart Rate Variability And Photoplethysmography
HRV holds information on the autonomous regulation of the heart, while PPG holds information on the peripheral circulation. Although HRV and PPG are intimately linked, they are informative on different aspects of the autonomic balance and cardiovascular functions. HRV is mostly under central influences while PPG is under both central and peripheral influences; therefore, the mechanisms of regulation are distinct. PPG and HRV are complementary means of monitoring , and in the present work, they both indicate a parasympathetic withdrawal. It is of practical interest for the clinician to now have the possibility to record accurately and non-invasively both PPG and HRV with low-cost wearables.
Are Pvcs That I Can Feel More Significant Than Those I Can’t
There is no prognostic difference between the PVCs that are felt by the patient and those that are not. Obviously the symptomatic PVCs are of more concern to the patient because they can be annoying and distracting. Beyond that, the PVCs are all the same, prognostically. In most patients who are otherwise healthy, PVCs on a Holter are of little prognostic value regardless of whether they’re experienced or not.
Don’t Miss: Does Tylenol Increase Heart Rate
How Your Sleep Affects Your Heart
Not enough zzz’s? Too many? Both can affect your cardiac health.
Of all the reasons to get a good night’s sleep, protecting your heart might not be top of mind. But maybe it should be. Sleep duration has decreased 1.5 to 2 hours per night per person in the last 50 years. But several recent studies show links between shortened sleep duration, defined as less than six hours of sleep, and increased risk of heart disease.
A 2011 European Heart Journal review of 15 medical studies involving almost 475,000 people found that short sleepers had a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease in a seven to 25-year follow-up period and a 15% greater risk of developing or dying from stroke during this same time. Interestingly, long sleepers — those who averaged nine or more hours a night — also showed a 38% increased risk of developing or dying from CHD and a 65% increased risk of stroke.
Researchers caution that the mechanisms behind shortened and prolonged sleep and heart disease aren’t completely understood. “Lack of sleep doesn’t necessarily cause heart disease,” says Phyllis Zee, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and director of the Sleep Disorders Program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “It really increases the risk factors for heart disease.”
Sleep Apneas Effects On The Cardiovascular System
The repetitive pauses in breathing that characterize sleep apnea can stress and potentially damage not only the heart, but the whole cardiovascular system. While researchers are continuing to learn about the ways in which sleep apnea affects the cardiovascular system and contributes to heart disease, several biological pathways have been suggested.
Recommended Reading: How Accurate Is Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate
Sleep For People With Heart Disease
Because sleep deprivation can harm the heart, its important for people with cardiovascular problems to make getting good sleep a priority. Some evidence even indicates that improving sleep may reduce the likelihood of heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems in people who are otherwise at high risk.
Unfortunately, some heart problems can interfere with sleep. For example, diabetes can cause frequent nighttime urination, and other cardiovascular disorders may create chest discomfort when trying to get to sleep. Worry and anxiety about heart health can also make it hard to wind down and fall asleep normally.
Because numerous factors can influence both sleep and cardiovascular health, its most helpful to talk with your doctor about heart-healthy sleep. A doctor can help develop a specific plan to improve your sleep while also addressing other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, that are important for your heart and overall wellness.
Ultimately There Are Lots Of Reasons Your Heart May Be Racing
Sometimes its nothing major. Other times, especially when accompanied by symptoms like feeling lightheaded or dizzy, having chest pain, or feeling fatigue, it can be a sign that you should see a doctor. It doesnt matter how healthy you are or how healthy you think you are, Dr. Doshi says. If your heart doesnt feel right for you, its worth getting a checkup.
Related:
Read Also: Does Tylenol Increase Heart Rate
Sleep And Coronary Heart Disease
Related Reading
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 sleeps effects on blood pressure. Hypertension strains the arteries, making them less effective at bringing blood to the heart and as a result contributing to heart disease.
Iv Sleep And A Healthy Heart
There are many things you can do to keep your heart healthy. You should be sure to do the following:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Watch out for and treat high blood pressure
- Get regular medical check-ups
Another thing you can do is to make sure that you get enough sleep to keep your body well rested. You can often sleep better by simply following the practices of good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene consists of basic habits and tips that help you develop a pattern of healthy sleep. See the Resources section of this site to find out how you can start down the path to better sleep.
Watch for signs that you may have a sleep disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that can put great stress on your heart. Men who are overweight and have large necks are most likely to have OSA.
Symptoms of OSA include the following:
- Loud snoring
- Gasping for breath or choking while asleep
- Trouble staying awake during the daytime
You may not be aware of these signs because they only occur while you are sleeping. Your breathing is normal when you are awake. Ask a bed partner or someone else who has observed your sleep to find out if you snore or stop breathing during your sleep.
Also Check: Does Acid Reflux Cause Heart Palpitations