Can an Irregular Sleep Schedule Damage the Heart?

The negative effects of sleeping too little are well known.

But sleeping too much or in irregular patterns can have even worse consequences for health. Keep reading to learn how these habits can affect your heart and what you can do to develop a regular sleep schedule.

Sleeping is one of the most important and necessary natural functions of the body. It allows the body and brain to recover from the efforts and stress they were subjected to throughout the day.

Resting can also help strengthen the immune system and improve alertness, decision-making, and both physical and mental performance.

The number of hours of sleep that a person needs to adequately rest can vary according to several factors, such as age, lifestyle, and health. However, the general recommendations for sleep are:

• Newborns: 16-18 hours a day.
• Preschoolers: 11-12 hours a day.
• Grade schoolers: At least 10 hours a day.
• Teenagers: 9-10 hours a day.
• Adults (including seniors): 7-8 hours a day.

What happens if we have an irregular sleep schedule?

In addition to quantity, quality is a decisive factor for good sleep. It’s important to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This is known as a regular sleep pattern.

Several studies have found that going to bed at the same time every night has many benefits for health, including:

• Increasing your sense of wellbeing.
• Improving metabolic functions, as well as physical and mental performance.
  
• Reducing the time it takes to fall asleep.
  

On the other hand, irregular sleep patterns have severe consequences for health. A study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found that an irregular sleep pattern in older adults may be an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Researchers reached this conclusion after five years analyzing almost 2,000 men and women aged 45-84 years who did not have heart disease at the start of the study.

To measure sleep irregularity, patients wore actigraph devices on their wrists to record their sleep and wake activity over seven consecutive days.

Another problem associated with irregular sleep is a greater risk of developing diabetes. According to an article published in Current Biology, people who don’t sleep enough during the week but then try to make up for these missed hours of sleep on the weekend have reduced sensitivity to glucose in their bodies.

During normal sleep, blood pressure levels tend to decrease. Changes in blood pressure levels can be another consequence of irregular sleep patterns, leading to increased risk of high blood pressure.

These habits can also be associated with weight gain or obesity. When we don’t sleep well, changes occur in the brain that stimulate the need to eat, especially high-calorie foods, even when there hasn’t been an actual increase in metabolic demand.

Developing a regular sleep schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is an essential tool to let your body know which sleep-wake cycles we want. But if this schedule constantly changes, it can affect the secretion of melatonin, worsening sleep quality.

Commonly known as the sleep hormone, melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, which is found in the brain.

Darkness makes the body generate more melatonin, preparing it for sleep, whereas light decreases its production, allowing you to be awake and do all your daily activities.
To maintain a regular sleep schedule, follow these tips:

• Eliminate distractions like bright lights, TV, or computers in your bedroom.
• Avoid or limit heavy foods at night.
• Avoid or limit tobacco or caffeine, especially in the afternoon and night.
• Avoid or limit alcoholic beverages before going to bed.
• Eat oatmeal, chicken, spirulina, dry herbs (such as mint), eggs, milk, vegetables, peanuts and peanut butter, seeds (such as sesame and pumpkin), and soy and soy products. These foods are rich in tryptophane, an amino acid that stimulates production of the hormones serotonin and melatonin.
• Drink teas like orange blossom, ginseng, lavender, chamomile, passionflower, linden, and valerian. These infusions are known for their relaxing, anxiety-reducing, and sleep-inducing effects.
• Exercise regularly, but try not to exercise too late or at night.
• Keep your bedroom at a pleasant temperature.
• Don’t take naps after 3 PM.
• Relax before going to bed; for example, take a bath, read, or listen to relaxing music.
• If you still can’t get to sleep after half an hour, get up and do something relaxing.

Remember:

Until there is significant scientific evidence from studies in humans, people should be very careful when using herbal therapies and supplements.

Don’t stop or change your medications or treatments before speaking to a doctor about the potential effects of complementary or alternative therapies.

Don’t forget that the medicinal properties of herbs and supplements can also interact with prescription medications and other herbs and supplements and may even affect your diet.

Sources: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database; National Library of Medicine; Mayo Clinic; National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.