Cardiovascular events in midlife women have seen a higher correlation with insomnia in recent studies. “Too often we treat sleep as a luxury,” said Rebecca C. Thurston, PhD, FABMR, FAPS. “However, prioritizing sleep is critically important not only for mental health but also for physical health.”
The shift from luxury to necessity can be daunting. With nearly 25 percent of premenopausal and early perimenopausal women reporting persistently poor sleep, Thurston’s study found insomnia and short sleep duration as key factors. Another study reported that heart attacks were 69% more likely when paired with insomnia. And the increase in cases shows women leading the instances of heart attacks over men.
Three improvements pertaining to sleep habits in women are recommended by the American Heart Association: exercise, avoid excess caffeine, and establish an evening routine. Although menopause creates new nightly disturbances to your sleep quality like night sweats or hot flashes, trying these three steps can help improve the quality of the heart and mind.
Sleep Deprivation in Adults
A study with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention found about 7 to 19 percent of adults are not getting enough sleep. This equates to 50 to 70 million Americans having chronic sleep disorders. A large issue stemming from a lack of sleep is sleep deprivation.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines sleep deprivation as a condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep; however, it is more broad of a category having to do with one or more of the following:
- You don’t get enough sleep (sleep deprivation);
- You sleep at the wrong time of day when your body is out of sync with your internal clock;
- You don’t sleep well for what your body needs; and/or
- You have a sleep disorder that prevents you from getting enough sleep or causes poor quality sleep like sleep apnea.
“Sleep consists of cycling repeatedly through two phases: non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, during which the body’s temperature drops and heart rate, breathing, and brain waves show complex combinations of slow and fast patterns; and REM sleep, when the body is paralyzed as the brain waves, breathing, and heart rate quicken and when dreaming occurs. Adequate quantity, quality, and timing of both types of sleep have complementary roles for brain and body health,” said Robert Thomas, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who co-directs the Sleep Disorders Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Like breathing, sleeping is a basic need for the body, foundational for the well-being of your entire physiological makeup. With little sleep, health problems can occur that can affect productivity, concentration, or physical ailments.
Linking Sleep Apnea and Heart Attacks
Another study conducted in 2021 found a high correlation between OSA and heart-related conditions. “OSA prevalence is as high as 40% to 80% in patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. Despite its high prevalence in patients with heart disease and the vulnerability of cardiac patients to OSA-related stressors and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, OSA is often underrecognized and undertreated in cardiovascular practice.”
Because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, doctors are working hard to make a stronger case for untreated sleep apnea to prevent heart conditions that could be fatal.
According to heart.org, call 911 if you experience these heart attack symptoms:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
Although there is a lot of work ahead of researchers as we live longer, trends in healthcare are finding an increase in heart-related ailments tied to insomnia. If you have any questions or concerns regarding obstructive sleep apnea or any other sleep-related questions, feel free to contact The Alaska Sleep Clinic for further information and be on your way to getting the nightly rest you need.
