Sleep
A chronic medical condition, such as heart failure, can affect sleep. This can be for any number of reasons, such as pain, frequent trips to the bathroom, coughing, or shortness of breath. Also, worries about finances, family, and other stressors can keep you awake at night.
Would you like to try improving your sleep? Please use our information below to find out how proper sleep is essential to a healthy heart, as well as your overall physical health and emotional well-being. If you have any additional concerns about your sleep, you may want to discuss these with your Hopeful Heart nurse.
Why is important for my heart that I get enough sleep?
Sleep is essential for a healthy heart. If you don’t sleep enough, you are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you don’t have long, deep periods of rest, certain chemicals are activated that keep the body from achieving extended periods in which your heart rate and blood pressure are lowered. Over time, this may cause your blood pressure to be higher throughout the day, which can lead to more cardiovascular problems. In addition, sleep deprivation will slow down your metabolism, which makes it more difficult for you to keep a healthy weight.
How does sleep affect mental well-being?
Lack of proper sleep can take a major toll on your mental well-being. If you are not getting enough sleep, this can make you feel more tired and sluggish throughout the day, and you may even have difficulty concentrating. As a result, people who experience sleep deprivation are at risk for developing depression. Sleep loss can make your symptoms of depression (such as fatigue) worse, and, in turn, your symptoms of depression can make it very difficult to fall asleep at night.
Could I have sleep apnea?
People with cardiovascular problems like heart failure, high blood pressure, and stroke have a high prevalence of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of shallow breathing during sleep. If you treat people with heart failure and sleep apnea, the measures of heart failure are significantly improved. This is why it’s important to ask your doctor about sleep apnea. Read more about sleep apnea and its connection to heart disease by by clicking here.
What other issues can sleep deprivation cause?
Click here to find more effects sleep deprivation may cause.
What are some tips that I can use to get a better night's sleep?
Find some tips from the National Sleep Foundation by clicking here!