HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 (HealthDay News): Waking up briefly all night can do more than make you feel moody and tired In the morning.
Disturbed to sleep it can increase your chances of dying early heart disease or any other cause, and it seems that women are more affected by these effects than men.
“The data further underscores the reasons why we need to review people on whether or not they feel up to date and how much to sleep they receive every night, ”said Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who reviewed the results.
Nocturnal excitations are caused by noise, temperature, pain or pause breathing as a result of sleep apnea. They’re brief, and you often don’t know what’s going on unless they’re strong enough to wake you or your bed partner. However, when these excitations are frequent, it can affect your health.
For the new study, the researchers analyzed data from sleep monitors carried by participants in three studies. In total, 8,000 men and women were followed for an average of six to eleven years.
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Women who experienced more nocturnal sleep disorders for longer periods of time had almost twice the risk of dying from heart disease and were also more likely to die sooner from all other causes, compared to women who slept more. deeply.
Men with more frequent nighttime sleep disorders were 25% more likely to die early from heart disease compared to men who slept more deeply, the researchers found.
The triggers of sleep arousal or the body’s response to it may be different in women than in men, according to the study’s author, Dominik Linz, an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Maastricht Medical Center. in the Netherlands.
“Women and men may have different compensatory mechanisms to deal with the detrimental effects of arousal,” Linz said.
It is not understood exactly how, or even if, the sleep disorder leads to an increased risk of premature death, and the new study was not designed to show cause and effect.
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But the authors of an editorial that accompanied the findings have some theories.
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“Many people with frequent arousal and poor sleep have other risks for heart disease, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes i lung diseasesaid editorial writer Dr. Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart in New York City.
Anxiety i Stress it can also rob you of sleep and is known to have harmful health effects.
“During short or interrupted sleep, activation of the sympathetic nervous system and inflammation may play a more direct role, ”Fuster said.
When activated, the sympathetic nervous system causes the release of stress hormones that can increase heart rate i blood pressure, which can increase the risk of heart disease over time.
Linz said the best way to improve sleep and reduce nighttime disturbances is to eliminate any triggers of arousal.
Think of sound machines to filter out noise and make sure your bedroom temperature is comfortable. If you are overweight or you may have sleep apnea, treating them can help prevent episodes of “unconscious wakefulness,” Linz said.
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Carpenter offered some other strategies that can add years to your life: reduce stress with relaxation techniques, such as yoga, and make sure your heart disease risks are controlled.
The new study had some limitations. The use of medications that can affect sleep was not considered. Tracking was done only one night, while sleep tracking readings tend to fluctuate from night to night. In addition, most of the participants were white and older people, so the findings may not be maintained in different populations.
The study and editorial were published on April 20 in European Heart Journal.
The new findings should serve as an alarm clock call, said Matsumura, who is also a sleep medicine doctor at the Oregon Clinic in Portland.
“When people don’t feel well and wake up without updating, many don’t realize they need to be evaluated by a sleep specialist,” he said.
It is also important to take steps to improve sleep quality, Matsumura added.
“Consider developing a nightly routine that evokes calm and relaxation, which may include reading, journaling, or meditation,” he suggested. “Limit noise and distractions by making your bedroom quiet, dark and a little cool, and just use the bed to sleep, not watch TV or read.”
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Limiting alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime will also help you sleep better at night, Matsumura said.
More information
Learn more about healthy sleep habits at American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
SOURCES: Dominik Linz, PhD, Associate Professor of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands; Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, director, Mount Sinai Heart, and chief physician, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; Andrea Matsumura, MS, MD, sleep medicine physician, Oregon Clinic, Portland; European Heart Journal, April 20, 2021
