Sleeping seven hours a day, together with other healthy habits, reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 65%. Says a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, although many observational studies have already shown in recent years the existence of an association between short-term or poor-quality sleep and the development of cardiovascular diseases. For Ainhoa Álvareza member of the insomnia working group of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), this association is not surprising, since short or poor quality sleep is associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis, all factors that increase the risk of having a cardiovascular problem.
Little or bad sleep is related to weight gain, since hormones that control hunger (ghrelin) and satiety (leptin) are secreted during sleep. When we do not sleep enough, a hormonal alteration occurs, which leads us to eat 400 calories more than usual after a bad night. In addition, poor rest increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, since poor sleep raises cortisol levels and other substances that increase insulin resistance. A sleep restriction of four hours for six or seven days, for example, can lead to excess blood sugar by reducing glucose tolerance. If we add to this that sleep restriction is associated with inflammation, we already have all the factors to increase the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease”, argues the expert.
The Spanish Sleep Society has been claiming for years the need to see rest as a habit as important for a healthy life as nutrition, physical exercise or not smoking. “It is no coincidence that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends sleeping an average of between seven and eight hours a day.
There are more and more primary care doctors who give importance to sleep, but a lot of training is lacking
Álvarez considers that there is still a lack of awareness, both among the population and among health professionals, about the importance of a good rest for health: “Despite the fact that in recent years we have made progress in disseminating the importance of sleep, we still there is an important part of society that associates sleep with losing time. Luckily there are more and more primary care doctors who give importance to sleep, but there is a lack of training and the promotion of healthy sleep habits to avoid a heart attack is still a path that we must travel.
Among these healthy rest habits to reduce the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, the SES spokeswoman highlights some basic rules that are within the reach of the entire population.
The first thing is to avoid stimulants in the evening: do not consume coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages, avoid exposure to blue light (cell phones, tablets, etc.) and avoid eating late and copiously, as it stimulates the production of the stress hormone.
Secondly, also avoid activities, such as physical exercise, that increase our body temperature, as it has to drop for us to fall asleep, as much as possible for at least two hours before going to bed.
Finally, have regular sleep schedules. “You have to try to go to bed every day at the same time and sleepy, after a period of deactivation, and also get up every day at the same time, when sleep ends, taking advantage of sunlight,” he concludes.