Struggling to sleep ‘increases your risk of silent killer by 69%’, scientists warn
TROUBLE with sleep can be more an than just an annoyance, a new study has shown.
Turns out you’re 69 per cent more likely to have a heart attack if you suffer from insomnia.
Researchers also observed that people who slept five or less hours a night had the greatest risk of experiencing a heart attack.
The likelihood of experiencing cardiac arrest doubled in people with both diabetes and insomnia.
Women who suffer from insomnia are also more vulnerable.
If you have insomnia, it may mean you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting good quality sleep.
Yomna E. Dean, a medical student at Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt, said: “Our study showed that people with insomnia are more likely to have a heart attack regardless of age, and heart attacks occurred more often in women with insomnia.”
“Not surprisingly, people with insomnia who also had high blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes had an even higher risk of having a heart attack than those who didn’t,” she added.
Though a number of studies have linked insomnia to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, this latest analysis is the largest to date.
Researchers pooled together 1,226 studies and assessed data for 1,184,256 adults – 13 per cent of them had insomnia.
Of these, 2,406 had heart attacks.
Most of the patients (96 per cent) observed in the study had no prior history of the condition.
Ms Dean said: “Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, but in many ways it’s no longer just an illness, it’s more of a life choice.
“We just don’t prioritize sleep as much as we should.”
Researchers also looked at whether individual insomnia symptoms increased patients’ risk of a cardiac episode.
They found that people who trouble falling and staying asleep were 13 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack.
However, patients who slept enough hours but woke up unrefreshed had no higher risk.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. You might have it if you regularly:
- find it hard to go to sleep
- wake up several times during the night
- lie awake at night
- wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
- still feel tired after waking up
- can’t nap during the day even though you’re tired
- feel tired and irritable during the day
- find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you’re tired
The most common causes of insomnia include:
- stress
- anxiety
- depression
Other factors that might be stopping you from sleeping:
- noise
- a room that’s too hot or cold
- an uncomfortable bed
- alcohol, caffeine or nicotine consumption
- using recreational drugs like cocaine or ecstasy
How much sleep should you be having?
According to the study, people slept 5 hours or less each night were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who slept six or seven hours a night.
But getting to much sleep can also be harmful to your health.
Researchers found that those clocking in 9 hours or more of sleep were just as likely to experience heart health issues as those sleeping 5 hours or less.
Patients who slept six hours had a lower risk of heart attack compared with those who slept nine hours.
Ms Dean said it important that people get seven to eight hours of quality sleep a night.
“Practice good sleep hygiene,” she added.
“The room should be dark, quiet and on the cooler side, and put away devices.
“Do something that is calming to wind down, and if you have tried all these things and still can’t sleep or are sleeping less than five hours, talk with your doctor.”
According to the NHS, adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Meanwhile, children need 9 to 13, while babies and toddlers should get 12 to 17.
You should see a GP if changing your sleeping habits hasn’t worked or you’ve had trouble sleeping for months, NHS guidance recommends.
You should also seek help if your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope.
GPs will try and identify what’s causing your insomnia in order to treat it.
Other lifestyle factors that could be putting your heart health at risk include smoking, having an unbalanced diet, not exercising enough and drinking too much.
The research was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and published online in the journal Clinical Cardiology.
How can I treat insomnia?
Insomnia usually gets better if you change your sleeping habits, NHS guidance says.
It recommends you:
- go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
- relax at least 1 hour before bed, for example, take a bath or read a book
- make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet – use curtains, blinds, an eye mask or ear plugs if needed
- exercise regularly during the day
- make sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable
But you should avoid:
- smoking or drinking alcohol, tea or coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed
- eating a large meal late at night
- exercising 4 hours before bed
- watching TV or using your smartphone right before bed
- napping during the day