SLEEP AND HEART DISEASES

Sleep is a time of rest for the entire body.  Even the heart, which works day and night, naturally slows down during sleep.  That’s why unhealthy heart function can deprive the body of restful sleep.  Yet, the relationship between heart function and sleep works both ways.  For instance, sleep-related breathing disorders have been shown to play a major role in causing several types of heart and blood vessel disease.

Although all aspects of the relationship are not clear there is definitely a direct connection among sleep disorders and heart disease. Medical professionals have already identified an increased risk of sudden cardiac death in first several hours after awakening, perhaps due to the increased work demand on the heart that occurs with awakening, various studies also have clearly linked sleep-related breathing disorders with increased rated of high blood pressure and increased risk of heart diseases and stroke. In fact, treating certain sleep-related breathing disorders may actually decrease a person’s chances of developing certain cardiovascular diseases.

Effects of heart disease on SLEEP

Sleep-related breathing disorders can direly cause heart disease.  Yet, there are effect of heart disease on sleep that, though more subtle, are also important to address.  For instance, patients with congestive heart failure often report difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep because of the shortness of breath that often accompanies heart failure.

This shortness of breath is often worse when the patient lies down because blood in the legs flows back into the heart and can overwhelm its ability to pump.  In addition to experiencing these complications from heart disease, patients often worry about the long-term consequences of a heart attack or chronic heart disease.

Such anxiety, by itself, can lead to the development of chronic insomnia.  Taking into consideration all of these plus the direct relationship of numerous heart conditions with sleep-related breathing disorder, it is clear that people with heart conditions need to take special care and seek medical attention in order to ensure their ability to sleep.