7 sleep factors that protect the heart

We measure the sleep quality in hoursas if it were a mathematical unit: we are lucky if we reach eight, indulgents if we pass the nine. But, in reality, there is much more behind a good sleep. According to the American Heart Association, they are 7 Sleep factors that influence cardiometabolic health. And the duration is only the first of these. By the way, but how much should we rest to feel good?

The 7 sleep pillars

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Most sleep studies agree that Sleeping less than 7 hours per night increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and high blood pressurewhile exceeding 9 hours is associated with stiffness of the arteries and strokes. In short, the canonical 8 hours of sleep, recommended for generations, also have a scientific confirmation.

However, the continuity of sleep represents an equally important factor. Disorders and interruptions at night were connected to atrial fibrillationheart attack and greater insulin resistance. Even the rest time, third element, has its weight: going to bed after midnight increases the risk of overweight and hypertension. The fourth point is subjective satisfaction: the data indicate that Those who negatively perceive their sleep tend to have higher pressure and less flexible arteries. The regularity, fifth factor, has been studied by UK Biobank, showing that irregular rhythms increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, even sleeping enough. The excessive daytime sleepiness, a sixth element, was instead associated with cardiovascular diseases, coronaropathies and strokes. Obesity, diabetes and night apnea seem to amplify this risk, while weight loss reduces it. In the end, sleep architecture – the phases we cross overnight – is decisive. A combined analysis revealed that non-rehelmas interruptions cause greater insulin resistance over time.

rethink sleep

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The research also highlights worrying social disparities, confirming The association between lower socio -economic status and poor sleep quality. Ethnic minorities, second The American Heart Association they would be particularly penalized. “It is important to keep in mind that each individual has different sleep experiences and that these differences can contribute to other health inequalities,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, professor at Columbia University and author of the research “and start including the different members of sleep when we talk to patients could help healthcare operators to improve 360 ​​degree assistance”.

In short, rethinking sleep means considering it in its complexity. The score Life’s Essential 8 of the American Heart Association includes among the cardiovascular health parameters only the duration of rest. But the data that emerge from this research suggest that it is necessary to evaluate the quality of sleep as a whole, to fully understand the impact on our health.