How Good Sleep Keeps Your Heart Healthy

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for a number of health reasons. One of the important reasons you need to make sure you sleep well is to keep your heart healthy. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can affect your heart health in multiple ways and lead to different health problems. Quality sleep helps you to keep your whole body healthy, as well as ensuring you have better mental health. Most people need around 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Improving your sleep habits could boost your heart health and more.

Keep Your Blood Pressure Healthy

If you don’t get enough sleep, you can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and associated health problems. When you fall asleep, your blood pressure drops and your heart rate slows down to give your body time to rest. But if you’re not sleeping properly, your body remains alert and can increase your risk of high blood pressure. Even making your bed more comfortable can help you to sleep better at night. Try getting a comfortable mattress topper like this one https://thesleepshopinc.com/best-mattress-topper-for-back-pain. You can improve your mattress by adding a topper that adds extra support and comfort.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva

Regulate Your Blood Sugar

A lack of sleep could also increase your risk of developing diabetes. Your body may not be able to regulate your blood sugar as easily, which could lead to diabetes. Diabetes and high blood pressure are both risk factors for stroke and heart disease. Poor sleep quality can cause fatty deposits to build up in your arteries due to inflammation too. This can lead to coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease. Making sure you get good sleep helps to reduce your risk of developing all of these problems.

Lower Stress Levels

Getting good sleep helps to improve your mental and emotional health. It can help you to manage your stress levels, which also helps you to keep your heart healthy. Chronic stress can lead to heart problems such as high blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Stress can also lead you to engage in other behaviors that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, including smoking and overeating. There are lots of ways to manage stress, but sleeping well is one of the ways you can start.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

When you sleep well, it helps you to maintain a healthy weight. It’s not entirely known yet why sleep affects your weight, but there are studies that suggest why it might be the case. One possible reason might be that being deprived of sleep could increase your appetite, which makes you eat more. It also affects your energy levels, which can lead you to overeat and spend less time exercising at the same time.

Improving your sleep schedule and quality could help you to keep your heart healthier. You can get better sleep using a range of techniques, including good sleep hygiene.