A healthy diet and exercise are two common ways that we can protect our heart health, and resolving some of our sleeping issues could cut our chances of heart problems even more. Experts from the Wisconsin Sleep Clinic have drawn attention to sleep issues and rates of heart problems, suggesting if we sleep better we may be healthier.
Good night’s sleep?
If we’re over 50 and female, then up to a fifth of us may get mild sleep apnoea and four per cent of us could have a more severe form of the condition. It can result in up to 15 pauses an hour during sleep cycles. Although it’s more common in women over 50, men can be affected too, and it’s also been connected with obesity and some medications. The pauses are caused by changes to our breathing and can disrupt a night’s sleep. Other issues we may get as we age are general insomnia and restless legs, where there is a need to move or change position of our legs. All these can make us feel very tired and drained, but now experts from the sleep clinic believe there could be a connection between these sleep conditions and our cardiovascular health.
Rest and blood pressure
The clinic has highlighted a link between insomnia and high blood pressure. Our blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day as our heart works to meet the demands of our physical activity. It rises when we’re busy then drops while we’re at rest. Sleep is a time when our blood pressure tends to stay lower, but in cases of insomnia and restless legs, it might not get this rest period. This means that it could stay elevated when it is meant to be lower, possibly putting us at risk of heart problems. There are treatments available for this sleep issues and our GPs can give us advice on resolving these kinds of disorders, which can help us to protecting our hearts.
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