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According to the CDC, the average adult needs approximately 7 hours of sleep to stay healthy. As many of us know from personal experience, that doesn’t always happen, and for a significant number of Americans, sleep deprivation is the norm. While we can recover from poor sleep over a day or two or even a week, long-term sleep deprivation can lead to severe problems. We know that increases in blood pressure, a higher risk of type II diabetes, and increased rates of obesity have all been tied, in part, to lack of sleep. Ultimately, these conditions can lead to cardiovascular disease like a heart attack and even stroke.
A recent study published in the European Heart Journal followed almost 400,000 British adults, giving them one point for the five main criteria of healthy sleep. These five criteria were
- Waking up early
- Sleeping for 7 to 8 hours
- No insomnia
- No snoring
- Not being tired during the day
The gist of the research is that those who experience the highest quality of sleep had a 34% reduction in risk of coronary heart disease and stroke versus those with the lowest quality of sleep. Some other exciting conclusions included those genetically predisposed to higher cardiovascular risk can reduce their risk through good sleep quality. Further, those hitting multiple sleep quality indicators enjoyed cumulatively more benefits to their health.
Our Take
We’ve always known that sleep is critical for the proper functioning of the body. Mental and physical health is improved with better sleep quality. This study was fascinating because it showed how significant the benefit of good sleep can be as it relates to heart health. Also, it is exciting that quality sleep is protective for those genetically predisposed to heart disease.
How Can We Improve Our Sleep Quality?
Sleep quality is critical to our heart health, but most of us have difficulty getting to bed when we should. Indeed, lifestyle changes over the past few generations have made getting the sleep we need even harder. So, what can be done?
- First, setting a bedtime schedule and routine can be very helpful. Sleeping around the same time every night and waking up around the same time every morning trains your brain and body to sleep better.
- Avoid the blue light you often get from TVs, smartphones, or computers a few hours before bedtime. Blue light tricks our bodies into believing it is daytime and throws off our natural sleep timer. You can use the night shift feature of many new electronics or employ a blue light filter. The best option is just to shut off the device.
- The room you sleep in should be cool, dark, and quiet.
- Get out more. Getting some natural light during the day, especially in the morning, is critical for your sleep. Further, getting outside during the day is healthy and can help your mood.
- Make sure you get enough physical activity during the day. Whether you walk, run, swim, or other exertion. However, try to avoid strenuous exercise right before bed.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, it feels like we have to make an overwhelming number of lifestyle changes to promote our heart health. But the reality is that these are simple, commonsense changes. Getting to sleep and sleeping well should be a top priority for anyone who wishes to improve their heart health!
