The heart & sleep

The heart is the engine of our body and ensures that we are healthy and efficient day after day. When we sleep, our cardiovascular system also rests. But what happens to our heart when we sleep too little or poorly? Here you can find out how sleep disorders damage the heart and what importance good sleep really has for heart health.

Table of contents

1. Our Heart & Sleep
2. How sleep disorders harm the heart
3. Sleep better with and for a healthy heart

1. Our Heart & Sleep

The heart is the engine of our body and fundamental to our vital functions. The heart is a muscle about the size of a fist and, together with the blood vessels, forms the vital cardiovascular system. Its main task is to regulate blood circulation and pump up to 10,000 liters of blood through the blood vessels to all areas of our body every day. In order to function at all, our organs, muscles and body cells need oxygen above all else. The heart drives the blood flow through constant contraction, i.e. muscle contraction and relaxation, and thus controls the important transport of oxygen and other nutrients to, from and to all areas of the body.

This central task makes a strong heart a basic requirement for our health and performance. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, on the other hand, represent an enormous health risk and are the most common cause of death in Germany.

Just like the brain, the heart never sleeps. When at rest and when physical activity is low, it beats an average of 60 to 80 times per minute (resting pulse). At night, when we lie quietly in bed and sleep, our physical activity drops to a minimum and our brain is also put under significantly less strain than during the day. This also reduces cardiac activity, the heart rate drops by another 10 beats per minute during sleep and blood pressure drops.

In this way, the constantly active heart muscle can recover from the stresses of the day and recharge its energy reserves. Sufficient sleep is also good for the heart. But what happens to our heart if, on the contrary, we don't get enough sleep or the nightly rest period is disturbed?

2. How sleep disorders harm the heart

Around a third of all adults regularly suffer from difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Normal heart function makes a fundamental contribution to ensuring that all parts of the body are supplied with sufficient oxygen and urgently needed nutrients via the blood, even during sleep, and that we can sleep well and restfully. At the same time, the heart also recovers during sleep. sleep disorders and particularly persistent lack of sleep can therefore also harm heart health and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Sleep duration: lack of sleep / too much sleep

The optimal sleep duration is usually between seven and eight hours per night, but every second German now regularly sleeps less than six hours a day. Even two nights of too little sleep noticeably affect our health, but chronic lack of sleepl can lead to overstrain of the cardiovascular system and cause immense damage to the heart.Scientific studies show that the risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease more than doubles in people who regularly sleep less than five hours!

Too little sleep means stress for the body, there is an increased release of stress hormones (e.g. cortisol or adrenaline) and high nerve activity, which causes the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise. If our blood pressure is too high, the heart has to pump against greater resistance in the blood vessels. Due to the increased exertion and increased pressure, the heart muscle and blood vessels lose elasticity, the arteries narrow, which further reduces the performance of our heart and makes it more difficult to transport nutrients in the blood flow.

But not only too little, but also too much sleep Studies have shown that excessive sleep has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. If you sleep more than nine hours a day, the risk of illness is 33% higher than for people who sleep between six and eight hours. We have explained in more detail what too much sleep means for the body and mind. this article explained. The right amount of sleep therefore contributes significantly to good heart function.

Sleep quality: frequent awakenings / breathing pauses

There are numerous reasons why we wake up at night or awakening and are torn from their resting state. The nervous system is then activated, stress hormones are released and the body is put into a state of stress, with the heart rate and blood pressure suddenly increasing.

Especially nighttime breathing problems are harmful to the heart, for example, breathing pauses due to so-called respiratory apnea, but also the more common snoring. Breathing disorders impede the supply of oxygen to the brain and organs during sleep and thus put the body on alert. This releases adrenaline, wakes the person affected and suddenly activates the cardiovascular system in a harmful way.

3. Better sleep with and for a healthy heart

A healthy, strong heart and restful sleep are ultimately mutually dependent. Good heart function makes us efficient and ensures that our metabolism, hormone production and vital organ functions run smoothly and that a regulated blood flow can supply all parts of the body with oxygen and other important nutrients. Healthy blood circulation therefore enables a natural sleep-wake rhythm and contributes significantly to the smooth running of sleep and recovery processes at night.

We all know that sufficient and restful sleep is of great importance for almost all of our body functions. But our "engine", the urgently needed heart, in particular, quickly suffers from the stress and consequences of disturbed sleep. With an active everyday life and the proper sleep hygiene you not only make it easier to fall asleep or sleep through the night – you ensure a strong heart, promote your health and create optimal conditions for full performance in everyday life.

4thConclusion

• The heart controls the flow of blood and, together with the blood vessels, forms the life-sustaining cardiovascular system

• Sleep disorders, lack of sleep and frequent awakenings can harm heart health

• Lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks or strokes by more than 50%

• If you sleep too much, the risk of illness is 33% higher than if you get enough sleep (6-8 hours per night)

Best regards and see you soon!