Poor sleep is associated with ischaemic heart disease and stroke, according to research presented European Society of Cardiology Congress in August last year. The observational study in nearly 13,000 people revealed that ischaemic heart disease is linked to shorter sleep and brief moments of waking up. Said lead researcher Dr Nobuo Sasaki, “Poor sleep includes too short or too long sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and difficulty maintaining sleep.” The study added, “Our results support the hypothesis that sleep deterioration may lead to cardiovascular disease.”
An earlier study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) links too little sleep (six hours or less) and too much sleep (10 or more hours) with chronic diseases — including coronary heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and obesity — in adults of age 45 and above. “It’s critical that adults aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to receive the health benefits of sleep, but this is especially true for those battling a chronic condition,” said Dr M. Safwan Badr, president of the AASM. “Common sleep illnesses, including sleep apnea and insomnia, occur frequently in people with a chronic disease and can hinder your ability to sleep soundly. So, if you’re waking up exhausted, speak with a sleep physician to see if there’s a problem. If you are diagnosed with a sleep illness, treating it could significantly improve disease symptoms and your quality of life.”
Said study co-author Janet B. Croft, “This suggests that physicians should consider monitoring mental health and body weight in addition to sleep health for patients with chronic diseases.” In the study, published in the Journal ‘Sleep’, short sleepers reported a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, in addition to obesity and frequent mental distress, compared with optimal sleepers who reported sleeping seven to nine hours on average in a 24-hour period. The same was true for long sleepers, and the associations with coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes were even more pronounced with more sleep.
“Sleeping longer doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sleeping well. It is important to understand that both the quality and quantity of sleep impact your health,” said Badr. “A healthy, balanced lifestyle is not limited to diet and fitness; when and how you sleep is just as important as what you eat or how you exercise.”