Categories
How Sleep Helps the Heart
How can getting enough sleep protect your heart? Sleep expert Phyllis Zee, MD, PhD, explains.
- Good-quality sleep decreases the work of your heart, as blood pressure and heart rate go down at night.
- People who are sleep-deprived show less variability in their heart rate, meaning that instead of fluctuating normally, the heart rate usually stays elevated. "That is not a good sign," Zee says. "That looks like heightened stress."
- Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and 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," says Zee. Shortened sleep also interferes with appetite regulation. "So you may end up eating more or eating foods that are less healthy for your heart," Zee says.
By Christina Boufis
WebMD Magazine