How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Heart And How To Fix It

Your heart is roughly the size of a fist and it is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. We already know that poor diet, limited exercise and smoking are extremely harmful to the heart. But what many of us are unaware of is that depriving ourselves of sleep assists in unhealthy habits and is prone to high blood pressure, higher stress levels and heart diseases.

As per the National Library of Medicine, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to several heart problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, obesity, diabetes, and stroke.

Recently, Dr Subhash Chandra, Chairman & HOD Cardiology, BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital spoke to Hindustan Times and said, “People who secrete excessive catecholamines in the early morning are likely to suffer from a stroke or heart attack between 4-8 am. So, if one has irregular sleep cycles, or if one is sleep-deprived, then extra caution is required as in the long run it might impact cardiovascular health significantly.”

He also mentioned that the sleep duration from adolescence to adulthood decreases with time. It is crucial for an adult to sleep for 7-9 hours whereas a child who is 5-6 years old requires 12-14 hours of sleep.

Here are some of the things that you can do to improve your sleep:

1. Get indulged in physical activity throughout the day. Try to avoid working out right before going to bed.
2. Maintain a consistent sleeping routine, including weekends, go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time.
3. Go on morning walks in order to get enough natural light
4. Avoid eating or drinking within a few hours of sleeping, especially food items that are high in fat and sugar.
5. Avoid consuming alcohol within a few hours of bedtime.