02/19/2023
Heart diseases caused by sleep loss
How much of an impact does sleep loss have on your health? A 2019 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that the risk of developing atherosclerosis (a cholesterol buildup in your arteries) increases by 27% if you consistently get less than six hours of sleep.
Lack of sleep isn’t the only problem affecting your heart. The quality of sleep has an even bigger impact. Poor sleep quality raises your risk of atherosclerosis by 34%.
If you don’t get the recommended 7-8 hours of restorative sleep each night, you have a significantly higher risk of developing heart problems such as:
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Coronary artery disease (blockages caused by atherosclerosis)
Arrhythmias (irregular heart rate)
Congestive heart failure
Heart attacks
Lack of sleep also increases bodywide inflammation, which is directly associated with heart disease. And your risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes increases when you don’t get enough sleep. Both conditions contribute to heart disease.
