Sleep is essential for our bodies to function properly. It is a time when the body repairs itself, consolidates memories, and restores energy so that you are ready to take on the day. Without proper sleep, your entire body suffers. We all recognize side effects like daytime drowsiness, mood swings, and even weight gain but what many people do not realize is that sleep disorders can also have a huge impact on your cardiac health.
Relationship Between Sleep Disorders and Heart Disease
There is a strong correlation between individuals with mild to severe sleep disorders and patients who experience some type of cardiac trouble. Be it a heart murmur, tachycardia, or even developing heart disease, several studies show that having a sleep disorder, especially untreated, can increase your chances of developing a heart condition.
Which Sleep Disorders Can Affect Your Heart?
There are several different types of sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. Each of these disorders can disrupt your normal sleep cycle and prevent the body from getting the rest it needs. This can put additional strain on the heart, especially if poor sleep habits are affecting the adrenal gland or have already decreased your metabolic rate. When this happens, the body may experience a number of negative health consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease.
Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders, affecting approximately a quarter of American adults. Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, as well as waking up before achieving a full night’s sleep. Typically a patient must experience these symptoms for at least three nights a week for at least three months. People with insomnia may feel tired or irritable during the day, and they may have difficulty concentrating or performing daily tasks. Insomnia can be caused by a number of factors, including stress, anxiety, depression, and certain medications.
Insomnia can affect cardiac health in several ways. One of the main ways is by activating the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s response to stress. Insomnia can cause an increase in sympathetic activity, which can lead to an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. In turn, this can put additional strain on the heart and increase the risk of developing hypertension, coronary artery disease, and even heart failure.
Insomnia may also lead to the development of other risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, and diabetes. Sleep deprivation can affect the hormones that regulate appetite, leading to an increase in hunger and a preference for high-calorie, high-fat foods. This can lead to weight gain and the development of obesity, which is a risk factor for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. Insomnia can also affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, leading to an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can have a significant impact on cardiac health in several ways. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep, leading to repeated periods of oxygen deprivation. This can cause a number of negative effects on the cardiovascular system, including Sleep apnea can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise, both during sleep and throughout the day. This can lead to an increased risk of developing hypertension, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
Sleep apnea can cause an irregular heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia. This is because repeated periods of oxygen deprivation can cause the heart to work harder to pump blood, which can disrupt the heart’s normal rhythm.
Overall, sleep apnea can have a significant impact on cardiac health, and it is important to seek treatment for this condition if you believe you or a loved one might be suffering from sleep apnea. Treatment options may include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, as well as the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines or other devices to help keep the airway open during sleep.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, often accompanied by an uncomfortable tingling, itching, or burning sensation. While RLS is primarily a disorder of the nervous system, it can indirectly affect the heart in a few ways.
First, RLS can cause disruptions in sleep, as the symptoms of RLS often worsen at night and can interfere with falling asleep or staying asleep. Even if you do not wake up fully, it disrupts your sleep cycle and keeps you from achieving your deepest, most restful sleep. Sleep disturbances can then increase your risk of developing heart disease, by triggering other conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and even stroke.
Another thing that can have a negative impact on your heart health is the medications used to treat RLS. Some medications used to treat RLS, such as dopamine agonists, can lower blood pressure and cause heart rate changes. Additionally, some medications used to treat RLS have been associated with an increased risk of heart valve problems, particularly in people who take them for an extended period.
Overall, while RLS itself may not directly affect the heart, the associated sleep disturbances, and medication side effects can indirectly impact cardiovascular health. It is essential to discuss any concerns about the potential impact of RLS on heart health with a licensed sleep medicine doctor.
Treatment Options
If you recognize yourself or a loved one in any of the symptoms listed above, you might want to consider seeing a sleep disorder doctor. Cardiac health is not something to take chances on, not to mention the plethora of other issues that can be caused by sleep disorders.
Sleep medicine doctors can help diagnose and treat a myriad of disruptive sleep disorders, some of which may be extremely detrimental to your overall health and well-being. Still, one of the most common questions we receive is, “How can a sleep disorder doctor help me?” These are the most common treatments that a sleep specialist might prescribe to a patient suffering from a sleep disorder.
Medications & Devices
By the time most people take the step to see a sleep specialist, their sleep patterns have already been severely disrupted, to the point that certain medications may be necessary. In some cases, medication is the most effective treatment but it is important to keep in mind that some cases of sleep disorders can be easily treated in another way.
Furthermore, many sleep disorders are caused by things like hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficits, and other minor health issues. Many of these causes can only be successfully treated by medication or supplements.
Medical devices, like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, are also an extremely common treatment tool for sleep disorder specialists because of how common conditions like sleep apnea are. In less extreme cases of sleep apnea, a small mouth guard may be used to help keep airways open, or positional therapy may be recommended for patients uncomfortable or unable to sleep with a CPAP machine.
Weight Loss
In many cases, sleep disorders are caused by obesity. In disorders like sleep apnea, excess fat in the neck and chin areas could be blocking airways when a person sleeps. Obesity can also cause high blood pressure and poor blood circulation, which is often connected with restless leg syndrome.
In some cases, a sleep disorder doctor might recommend a strict workout and diet regimen to their patient, to alleviate some of the pressure on their body. Even just a small amount of weight loss has been reported to help patients achieve a more restful night’s sleep.
In cases where a patient would need to lose an extreme amount of weight to overcome their sleep disorder, the doctor might recommend the patient sees a weight management specialist who will be able to present them with all of their options in regard to weight loss.
Reduce Light and Noise Exposure
Many patients do not even realize how much damage their surroundings are doing to their regular sleep patterns. Sleeping with the television, light, or lamp on in the room is not only distracting but can also cause fitful sleep.
Another negative habit that your sleep specialist might suggest you kick is using your phone to go to sleep. Studies show that scrolling on social media or entertainment apps before bed can actually engage your brain and make it even more difficult to fall asleep. Research also shows that the blue light emitted by your cell phone negatively impacts the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle, which can trigger insomniatic episodes.
Counseling
In some cases, disrupted sleep patterns are a side effect of mental health issues. In these cases, when the sleep disorder is not the most major underlying condition, your sleep disorder specialist may refer you to a psychiatrist to help you address whatever mental health disorder you might be suffering from.
It is very common for patients who suffer from insomnia to also struggle with depression or manic episodes. Other conditions like parasomnias and various disruptive sleep behaviors (such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, and excessive movement) can be caused by untreated ADHD, ADD, or OCD.
Gingras Sleep Medicine
If you or a loved one is experiencing sleep disorder symptoms, it is important that you see a qualified sleep disorder specialist as soon as possible. Poor sleep quality can negatively impact nearly every part of your life if you do not seek help.
Gingras Sleep Medicine is a North Carolina-based sleep medicine facility with a reputation for results! Dr. Jeanine Gingras is a nationally recognized double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and pediatrician. With decades of experience under her belt, Dr. Gingras is highly respected in her field and is known for her attention to detail and passion for helping her patients take back their sleep!
Call (704) 944-0562 or request an appointment online with Dr. Gingras at Gingras Sleep Medicine in Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina to start your journey to better, more restful sleep!