How too little sleep can hurt your heart?

Studies found that short sleepers had a 48% increased chance of having coronary heart disease (CHD) and a 15% greater chance of developing stroke. Interestingly, long sleepers (those who averaged nine or more hours a night) had 38% increased the chance of having coronary heart disease, CHD and a 65% increased chance of developing stroke. The lack of sleep doesn’t necessarily cause heart disease, but it really increases the risk factors for heart disease. Some research even concluded, there is a relation between shortened sleep (less than six hours a night or have disturbed sleep) and increased coronary artery calcification.

How Sleep Helps the Heart?

A good-quality deep sleep reduces the work load of your heart, as blood pressure and heart rate goes down at night. The heart rate usually stays high for people who don’t have good-quality deep sleep. Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance (a risk factor for the development of heart disease). Shortened sleep can increase CRP, or C-reactive protein, which is released with stress and inflammation. “If your CRP is high, it’s a risk factor for cardiovascular and heart disease. Shortened sleep also interferes with appetite regulation. “So you may end up eating more or eating foods that are less healthy for your heart.

How to improve your sleep?

• Eat healthy
• Regular exercise

• Try to use your bedroom for intimacy and sleep
• If you can’t fall asleep, try to read topics that you are not interested
• Don’t do stimulating activities before going to bed
• Get a sleep of seven to nine at each night.
• Keep your cell phones and laptop away from your bed.

Do you know that it can be fatal?

Treatment is not necessary for all people with congenital heart defects. Only some need to visit the cardiac specialist for surgery. A cardiac catheterization or surgery is needed either to decrease the defect or to repair the heart defect. The common heart problems that can develop in children or in adults with congenital heart defects are listed below

Congestive heart failure:

Due to the presence of the defect in the heart, the heart can’t circulate the blood normally and hence the excessive blood gets builds up in the lungs, the liver, around the eyes, and sometimes in the legs. Medications prescribed may include diuretics, furosemide which will help to get rid of the extra fluid by increasing urination. A low salt diet may sometimes help to get rid of extra fluid. Captopril, enalapril are some blood vessel relaxing medications that help the heart to pump. In some cases digoxin, another medication is given which may the heart to contract with more force

Heart Rhythm Problems:

Patients with problems in either functioning of heart or any structural defects (congenital heart defect) to heart are prone to heart rhythm problem. The heart rate of a person varies according to the age his age and activities. If the heart rate is faster, it is called tachycardia. The medications prescribed for tachycardia are beta-blockers such as propranolol or atenolol and Digoxin. If the heart rate is too slow, it is called bradycardia. Treatment for bradycardia is artificial pacemaker implantation

Pulmonary Hypertension:

Children with congenital heart defects will have high blood pressure in their lungs, called pulmonary hypertension. After surgery to correct the congenital heart defect, the blood pressure in the lungs becomes normal.