We could easily deem 2020 the year of insomnia.

So many patients tell us they cannot sleep because of racing thoughts and anxiety revolving around world events. These are interesting times we are in indeed. It is vital for your health to limit the amount of stress you are under on a daily basis as much as possible. If you need to turn off the news and social media and take a break, do.

The fact is that adults with healthy sleep patterns have a 42% lower risk of heart failure. This is regardless of any other risk factors.

What is a healthy sleep pattern?

A healthy sleep pattern consists of 7 to 8 hours of straight sleep per night with no insomnia, excessive day time grogginess, or snoring.

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death. Someone passes away due to heart disease in the USA every 36 seconds. That is 1 in 4 deaths and about 655,000 per year. This puts things in perspective a bit on just how important sleep really is to our bodies.

Heart failure affects nearly 27 million people and evidence indicates that chronic sleep issues play a role.

Interestingly the following was reported:

• 8% lower in early those who get up early.
• 12% lower in those who slept 7 to 8 hours daily.
• 17% lower in those who did not report frequent insomnia
• 34% lower in those reporting no daytime grogginess.

Things you can do to help yourself sleep more soundly:

• Turn off all tv’s and radios
• Turn off all lights
• Wear an eye mask
• Wear ear plugs
• If you must have noise, try turning on a fan or a sound machine (waves, rain, nature sounds)
• Get to bed at the same time nightly
• Try to wake naturally rather than with an alarm
• Take melatonin, vervain, or valerian before bed
• Spray your pillow with lavender essential oil or put some on your pulse points and the back of your neck
• Take a warm bath before sleep
• Do not exercise within a few hours before bed
• Stay hydrated

If you are having problems sleeping don’t wait to see your cardiologist or physician. Sleep disturbance is a medical issue not just a frustrating annoyance.

Please contact the office of Tampa Cardiovascular Associates at 813-975-2800 to schedule your consultation either in office or by telehealth. www.tampacardio.com.

Journal Reference:

1. Xiang Li, Qiaochu Xue, Mengying Wang, Tao Zhou, Hao Ma, Yoriko Heianza, Lu Qi. Adherence to a Healthy Sleep Pattern and Incident Heart Failure: A Prospective Study of 408802 UK Biobank Participants. Circulation, 2020; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.050792