Sleep is extremely important for heart health

Quality sleep is not just “eight to nine hours”. In a recent scientific review from the American Heart Association, experts have analyzed in detail what exactly includes a healthy sleep and how its various aspects affect the state of the heart, blood vessels and metabolism. It turned out that it is important not only the duration, but also the stability of the regimen, subjective satisfaction with sleep, as well as how awake you are during the day.

Many people still think that the most important thing is just to “sleep more”. But it’s more complicated than that: sleep works as a complex system. This review looks at the rhythm of falling asleep, night awakenings, quality of rest, and even a person’s perception of their sleep. All of these shape overall well-being and can either enhance health or gradually erode it.

Particular attention is paid to daytime sleepiness – if you constantly want to snuggle up during the day, even after a full night’s sleep, this is a red flag. Fatigue, decreased attention span and frequent falling asleep in inappropriate situations can be signs of poor quality sleep, which affects blood pressure, blood sugar levels and even the risk of stroke.

Regularity is also important. If you go to bed and get up at different times, especially on weekdays and weekends, so-called “social jetlag” occurs – it increases the likelihood of obesity and heart problems. The difference in sleep time of just a few hours can disrupt internal biorhythms and provoke inflammatory processes in the body.

Researchers emphasize that the very complaints of poor sleep – already a reason to talk to a doctor. Simple questions about how long it takes you to fall asleep, how often you wake up at night and whether you feel alert – can help identify problems that directly affect health.

A separate section is devoted to environmental influences. Unfavorable conditions in your home and neighborhood – noise, light, air pollution – make sleep worse. And low-income people are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders, further exacerbating health inequalities.

In addition, researchers urge that sleep deterioration should not be perceived as the “norm” as we age. Problems falling asleep, frequent awakenings and daytime fatigue are not just a consequence of years, but a wake-up call. It is important not to put up with it, but to seek help.

Today, interest in sleep is growing – but, as experts point out, there is a need for more accurate ways to assess all aspects of it. So far, popular trackers mostly only count hours, but it’s much more important to consider the holistic picture. Which means future research should take into account the diversity of experiences of different people and include more participants from different social and ethnic groups.

Sleep is included in the “vital eight” list of factors that support heart health. However, full-fledged methods for assessing all of its components are still under development. Convincing data on how better sleep affects health will enable the development of effective programs to prevent disease.

Healthy sleep is not a luxury, but one of the foundations of good health. And if we start taking it as seriously as we take nutrition or physical activity, we can actually reduce the risks of many chronic diseases.