Will a good night ’s sleep help my heart?

This study followed nearly 2,000 adult men and women without CVD for five years. Participants wore wrist trackers to track sleep and activity. Study participants also completed a comprehensive sleep study and answered questions about their lives, including diet. Researchers found that irregular sleep duration increased the risk of heart disease. Those with the most irregular sleep duration and variable bedtimes had more than double the risk of developing heart disease, compared to those with less variability in sleep duration and more consistent bedtimes. Researchers think that multiple factors could link irregular sleep patterns with harmful metabolic changes, such as obesity, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol, all of which impact CVD risk. And since our metabolic health may be affected by sleep, our dietary choices may be even more important when we are sleep deprived. Prioritize good sleep for better heart health There is growing evidence that sleep is important to optimal health. These two recent studies raise the important question of how sleep affects our diet and cardiovascular health. Pay attention to how long and how well you sleep at night. If you have insomnia or poor-quality sleep, talk to your doctor about having a formal sleep study and about factors that could help to improve your sleep. The post Will a good night’s sleep help my heart? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Healthy Eating Heart Health Sleep Source Type: blogs