Sleep Prevention and Heart Disease: Everything You Need to Know

In today’s fast-paced world, we often sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity.

Unfortunately, losing sleep can have significant consequences on the heart. University of Chicago Medicine cardiologist Kathleen Drinan, DO, and sleep surgeon Phillip LoSavio, MD, weigh in on the dangers of sleep deprivation and heart disease, highlighting why it’s important to address it before it impacts your life.

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What happens when we are sleep-deprived?

It can be hard to fall asleep, with nearly one in three adults sleeping less than the recommended seven hours per night. This chronic sleep deprivation directly affects how your cardiovascular system functions and can lead to heart problems, such as:

• High blood pressure. Interrupted or insufficient sleep cycles can lead to higher-than-average blood pressure levels, which can put strain on the heart and blood vessels over time.
• Inflammation and stress. Chronic sleep deprivation can raise your level of stress hormones, like cortisol, which may contribute to cardiovascular disease.
• Metabolic changes and weight gain. Poor sleep patterns can upset appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. With this imbalance, you could overeat and gain weight, which are risk factors for heart disease, coronary artery disease and diabetes.

A connection between heart disease and sleep deprivation

Surprisingly, even a one-hour shift in sleep can have a serious impact on your heart.

Daylight Saving Time Increases Risk of Heart Disease

When clocks "spring forward" in March for daylight saving time, we lose an hour of sleep and the change can negatively affect your heart. Studies show people are more at risk of heart problems, and an increase in the number of heart attacks.

The lack of sleep increases heart disease risks by forcing our bodies to rely on the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the ‘fight or flight' nervous system.

Sleep can have both positive and negative impacts on the heart, including:

• 24% more heart attacks for the first 3-4 days after the clocks change in March
• 21% reduction in heart attack risks once we gain an hour of sleep in November after clock “fall back”
• Adults with 5 hours of sleep or less have a 200% to 300% higher risk of coronary artery build up in arteries, meaning that sleep deprivation can increase coronary artery disease

The Dangers of Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea

One of the most common, but also underdiagnosed, sleep disorders is sleep apnea, which is interrupted or obstructed breathing during sleep. LoSavio estimates between 50 to 60 million people in the United States have sleep apnea, but only 6 million to 7 million have been diagnosed.

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring
• Abrupt awakenings with shortness of breath
• Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Morning headaches
• Difficulty staying asleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Irritability

If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause health issues, like:

• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Daytime fatigue that can affect work or daily activities

Drinan noted that these factors can be triggers for heart problems such as heart rhythm disorders, especially atrial fibrillation.

“I refer patients with atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias for sleep evaluations at the UChicago Medicine Sleep Center. Sleep disorders, especially untreated sleep apnea, can activate cardiac arrhythmias and elevate blood pressure, as well as lead to weight gain,” she said.

Treatments for Sleep Apnea

Your treatment will be personalized and targeted to your individual conditions, symptoms and needs, but the plan could include:

• Weight loss
• Sleeping position adjustments
• Using a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine
• Oral appliances
• Surgery to correct airway obstructions if needed

“The gap between the 6 million diagnosed and 60 million undiagnosed with sleep apnea is likely due to the fear be able about seeking out treatment.” LoSavio said.

There is a misconception about sleep studies, with many people envisioning a cold, impersonal environments. It is common for people to picture themselves being hooked up to a bunch of electrodes in a lab.

The truth is about 90% of the sleep studies we do are home studies. We send most patients home with a wrist monitor to wear for one night. From that we can get highly accurate information about their sleep apnea.

How can we get better sleep?

Honestly, most Americans need to overhaul their sleep hygiene to ensure they are taking care of their bodies. Sleep hygiene is a set of practices and habits that promote good sleep quality and overall health.

The first step is setting ,and sticking to, a regular sleep schedule. This means that you need to be in habit of going to sleep and rising at the same time every day. Sleep consistency might even be more important than the length of sleep, according to LoSavio.

Other recommendations for better sleep hygiene include:

• Creating a comfortable sleep environment that is dark, cool and quiet
• Avoiding stimulants like caffeine and nicotine before bedtime
• Exercising regularly can promote better sleep patterns
• Reducing screen time, at least an hour before going to sleep
• Managing stress with journaling and therapy
• Limiting daytime naps