Think of sleep as a form of nourishment, don't let yourself go hungry. --Whole Living, October, 2011.

Suzanne

Sleep duration directly linked to heart disease risk

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) A startling number of people take a good night sleep for granted, despite the mounting body of evidence to support a restful sleep between six and eight hours every evening. In the past, studies have made a loose correlation between the numbers of hours of sleep each night and risk of diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disease and dementia. Researchers from the University of Chicago are presenting the result of a study to the American College of Cardiology that explains a direct link between sleeping a minimum of six hours each night and dramatically increased risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure.

The study team found that individuals sleeping much more than eight hours each night had a significantly higher prevalence of chest pain or angina and coronary artery disease, a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart with blood and oxygen. The bottom line is simple: controlling the duration of restful sleep in a totally darkened room is a modifiable risk factor that can significantly reduce risk of heart diseases and related chronic illnesses.

Sleeping Less Than Six Hours Each Night Doubles Heart Attack Risk

Researchers examined 3,019 patients, aged 45 years or older participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, designed to assess a broad range of health issues. The study showed that people getting less than six hours of sleep each night were two times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack and 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure. Conversely, those individuals that slept more than eight hours a night were two times more likely to have angina and 1.1 times more likely to have coronary artery disease.

Clearly the duration and quality of sleep is an identifiable risk factor for heart disease, robbing your health in a similar manner to poor dietary choices and lack of physical activity. The principal study investigator, Dr. Rohit Arora commented "We now have an indication that sleep can impact heart health, and it should be a priority... based on these findings, it seems getting six to eight hours of sleep everyday probably confers the least risk for cardiovascular disease over the long term."

While this research did not directly determine how sleep duration affects heart health, past studies have implicated hyper-activation of the sympathetic nervous system, glucose intolerance, diabetes, increased cortisone levels, blood pressure, resting heart rate and inflammatory markers, all known risk factors for increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As researchers continue to determine the link between sleep and heart disease, the message is clear: ensure a restful sleep between six and eight hours each night in a fully darkened room to dramatically lower heart disease risk.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326113805.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/acoc-stm032512.php
http://health.usnews.com
http://news.yahoo.com

Suzanne

Get more sleep and significantly lower your risk of stroke and heart disease

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) A rapidly growing number of health-minded individuals understand that vascular disorders including stroke and heart are largely the result of preventable lifestyle practices that combine to dramatically increase risk of disease. Most people know that a natural diet of healthy, fresh greens, nuts and seeds alter genetic expression to maintain vibrant health. It is less known that sleeping fewer than six or more than nine hours each night increases the risk associated with these potentially deadly conditions.

Increasingly, adults are becoming overworked and more stressed due to workplace and family life circumstances. In addition to following a poor diet, these individuals tend to sleep less and unknowingly place themselves at greater risk for reduced quality of life and an early death. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham have published the result of a study in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine journal that explains how sleeping fewer than six hours each day increases the risk of stroke symptoms among middle-aged to older adults who are of normal weight and at low risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Short sleep duration is a significant modifiable risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease

To conduct the study, researchers followed 5,666 individuals for three years to see what role a lack of sleep had on stroke risk. The participants had no history of stroke or ischemic disease, and the scientists adjusted for body-mass-index to account for any weight disparities among the participants. The study team recorded the first stroke symptoms, along with demographic information, stroke risk factors, depression symptoms and various health behaviors.

Researchers found that taking fewer than six hours of sleep each night was strongly associated with a greater incidence of stroke symptoms for middle-aged to older adults, even beyond other risk factors. The lead study author, Dr. Megan Ruiter noted "In employed middle-aged to older adults, relatively free of major risk factors for stroke such as obesity and sleep-disordered breathing, short sleep duration may exact its own negative influence on stroke development."

Insufficient sleep patterns or excess sleep (defined as fewer than six hours or more than nine hours each night) is now seen as a modifiable risk pattern exerting as much influence on disease outcome as diet, physical activity or smoking a pack of cigarettes per day. Dr. Ruiter concluded "These results may serve as a preliminary basis for using sleep treatments to prevent the development of stroke." In addition to following your healthy lifestyle, be certain to closely monitor daily sleep habits to significantly lower risk of stroke and vascular disorders.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=1818
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120611092341.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/aaos-tro053112.php
http://www.medicaldaily.com

Suzanne

The comments made above are well documented for people with OSA.

However, CSA (Central Sleep Apena) occurs much less than OSA. In contract with OSA which has been well studied, CSA remains in many ways a mystry with more limited means of treatment than its better known cousin, OSA.

If you think that you may have one of the forms of Sleep Apnea, talk to you MD. To be properly diagnosed you will need to spend the night in an approved sleep laboratory hooked up to various mechanical devices.

If you are fortunate to have OSA, your MD may be able to chose from a number of treatments. If you are obese (a common cause) that will be a primary focus. If ther is another reason for your OSA, treatment will likely be available for that. OSA can be curable.

If you have CSA, it may not be curable and you may have to settle for a reduction in symptoms.

NOTE: I have been diagnosed with CSA and will be in treatment for the rest of my life as reduction in symptons is the best that can be expected for me.

Great topic Suzanne. I have always said I HAVE to have my 8 hours of sleep. Of course there are times when I do not get that but very few times. The last few years however are not being kind to me. I still get my 8hrs. sleep but I wake up every two hours to use the rest room and drop right back to sleep. Wonder if it is because of lack of exercise that is making by bladder not hold through the night? Just can't seem to get in the habit of walking. Something always happens. I work graveyard now from 11pm to 7am. Get home and by the time I change out of my uniform I am just not ready to put shoes and clothes back on to walk. I am going to have to do it though. With the new post I have it ia all sitting and I have also gained alot of weight due to no exercise. I sure do agree with all the sleep articles you have posted.

Thank you Suzanne for all the articles. I have just reread all of them.

I'm 100% in agreement with everything Suzanne has presented here. This is a great subject for discussion.

I'm guessing there are many who want to sleep more hours, but find they just can't drop off to sleep as they did when they were younger, or wake up after a couple hours and can't get back to sleep.

Is it these computers and all the electronic buzz our brains and nervous systems have to deal with that's making it so hard to tune out at night?

I'm going to start with the deep breathing!

Thanks for sharing this with us.

How many of us actually have a good sound sleep each night, as in sleep well at night?