Can Poor Sleep Cause Heart Attack?

Short sleep duration appears to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death, regardless of the underlying cause. Experimental data show that sleep deprivation causes significant biological changes in many cases.

Death from heart attack is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. It is essential that we sleep for sufficient duration and content so that our brain and most organs can function regularly. According to researches; The most important problems caused by disease-level insomnia are that it triggers heart attack and stroke.

The duration of sleep is as important as its quality. The right amount of sleep protects heart health. Sleep problems, which are the subject of more research every day, are associated with diseases that can be fatal. But what kind of problems does decreased sleep time cause in terms of health, especially heart health? Research shows that sleeping less than 6 hours has the same effect as sleep apnea syndrome. This means an increase in heart diseases and obesity.

Why does sleeping less than 6 hours cause sleep apnea-like effects?

• Since there is a decrease in the amount of oxygen going to the brain in sleep apnea, the brain constantly releases hormones, etc. It tries to increase the amount of blood coming to it by secreting substances and constricting the vessels. This affects metabolic processes such as hypertension and obesity, leading to diabetes and heart attacks. In case of insufficient sleep, the brain tries to protect itself by being stimulated in a similar way and by secreting various hormones, but of course, while doing this, it disrupts the metabolic balance and damages the vascular bed. The result is similar to sleep apnea.