According to Lloyd-Jones, both the quantity and quality of sleep are crucial and can have a big impact on your overall and cardiovascular health. Lack of sleep may increase a person’s risk for depression, cognitive decline, and obesity in addition to raising their chance for cardiovascular diseases including heart attack and stroke.
According to recent research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, having a regular sleep schedule may be crucial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers discovered a link between irregular sleep patterns, including fluctuations of more than two hours each night within the same week, and the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
According to Lloyd-Jones, “We know that people who get enough sleep manage other health concerns, such as weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure, better as well. “Sleep has just been included by the American Heart Association to the list of elements that promote ideal cardiovascular health. We refer to these as the “Life’s Essential 8,” and they include keeping a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity, not smoking or using e-cigarettes, getting enough sleep, controlling your blood pressure, and preserving healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids.”
According to Lloyd-Jones, even little adjustments to everyday routines can have a significant impact on the quality of sleep. The American Heart Association suggests the following measures:
Make it a habit to live healthily: To encourage a better night’s sleep, maintain a healthy diet, engage in regular physical activity, and control your stress.
Set an alarm for both the morning and the evening: As much as you can, commit to a regular sleep routine and stick to set timings for bed and wake-up each day. Try setting a nighttime alarm in addition to a wake-up alarm to signal when to start calming down.
Establish bedtime habits: Once your bedtime alarm goes off, move into a familiar ritual, like brushing your teeth, washing your face or taking a warm bath.
Relax and unwind: Take a few minutes to de-stress, consider reading, journaling, meditating or listening to music to ease into a good night’s rest.
Take a technology break: A bedroom free of light and technology will equate to better sleep, so keep your phone and other devices away from the bed. Try logging off your electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime.Getting to sleep can be tricky for some people, however, sleep supplements should be used sparingly, and only under the advice of a health care clinician. It’s also very important to consider the possibility of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea or insomnia. These conditions can increase a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke and should be treated appropriately to improve the quality and duration of sleep, as well as overall health.
