NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Lack of sleep is overall bad for health, but a recent study shows us that the consequences can be worse than we thought. Chronically disrupted sleep can trigger heart disease and dementia. Sleeping less than six hours a night increases heart attack risk by 20 percent, as researchers discovered in a recent Vanderbilt study.
Tossing and turning at night is more than just annoying – poor sleep triggers cardiovascular issues by plugging arteries with dangerous plaque, and causing them to stiffen.
Kelsie Full, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, explains, “Poor sleep can alter the regulation of hormones, it can cause increased inflammation.”
This causes fatty plaque buildup in arteries that can cause stroke. Simultaneously, blood pressure soars, oxygen goes down, and the body is prevented from cleansing and repairing itself.
“For the brain, sleep is the time when the brain is flushed of harmful toxins that can contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Professor Full adds.
The key to making this happen is getting good quality, consistent sleep, but many people suffer with irregular sleep patterns.
Professor Full says, “In our large sample, we found that approximately 40% of adults had irregular sleep patterns, and their sleep was varying across the week by about 90 minutes or more. And this is really important because sleep regularity is something that we can potentially target. So, we can try to have more consistent bedtimes, we can try to wake up at about the same time.”
Professor Full suggests effective sleep hygiene by minimizing light, lowering the thermostat and avoiding caffeine and stress. Finally, keep a sleep journal for 10 days. If you realize you’re short on sleep, see your doctor.
Sleep requirements vary by age, with infants needing 12 to 16 hours and older adults only requiring seven – an estimated 83.6 million Americans sleep fewer than that. Factors such as obesity, chronic illness, even where you live, has an impact.
Contributors to this news report include: Donna Parker, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer & Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org
cdc.gov
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: IRREGULAR SLEEP DEADLY FOR THE HEART
REPORT: MB #5286
BACKGROUND: Poor sleep can negatively affect your heart health. According to the CDC, adults require at least seven hours of sleep, but about one in three Americans don’t get an adequate amount of sleep per night. Poor sleep can lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, and stroke. The two most common reasons for poor sleep are sleep apnea and insomnia.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-heart)
DIAGNOSING: Some signs and symptoms that you didn’t get enough sleep are: daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability, slowed reaction times, and/or headaches. Some symptoms of sleep apnea are similar to not getting enough sleep, but they also include: loud snoring, waking in the middle of the night gasping for air or choking, mood changes, and/or high blood pressure. Some signs of insomnia are: difficulty falling asleep at night, waking up too early, difficulty paying attention, and/or ongoing worries about sleep. Doctors can diagnose these issues with sleep apnea testing, an EEG, actigraphy, a multiple sleep latency test (or MSLT), or a maintenance of wakefulness test (or MWT).
(Sources: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23970-sleep-deprivation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352090
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167
NEW TECHNOLOGY: If it seems like the natural remedies or over-the-counter drugs aren’t working, fret not. The FDA approved Daridorexant, a drug that could treat poor sleep. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Daridorexant is a dual orexin type 1 and types 2 receptor antagonist that was recently approved by the US FDA for the treatment of adults suffering from insomnia. It was shown to be effective in reducing insomnia symptoms, increasing daytime functioning, and improving the overall quality of sleep. Daridorexant offers patients relief from insomnia while avoiding the severe side effects and dependency issues of traditional treatments like benzodiazepines and sedatives.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Craig Boerner
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