Not Getting Enough Sleep Can Increase Women’s Risk of Heart Disease by 75%

Getting poor sleep can significantly impact your overall health.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, and poor sleep is a major health issue for women, especially in midlife.
• A new study finds long-term sleep issues and heart disease are closely linked for women.

• Women who had chronic insomnia or who slept less than 5 hours a night had a higher risk of heart disease.
The sleep habits you develop in the middle of your life can have a profound impact on your future heart health, according to new research.
The studyTrusted Source, recently published in the journal CirculationTrusted Source, found that regularly sleeping fewer than seven hours a night and waking up too early or throughout the night can increase a person’s future risk of stroke, heart attack, and myocardial infarction.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, and poor sleep is a major health issue for women, especially in midlife.
While previous studies have looked at how a poor night’s sleep is related to the development of heart disease, it’s been unclear how long-term sleep problems impact the risk of heart disease.

Years of poor sleep may heighten your risk of heart disease

The researchers evaluated the sleep habits and health outcomes of 2,964 women between 42 and 52 years of age.
The participants were premenopausal or early perimenopausal, not using hormone therapy, and did not have heart disease.
Roughly one in four of the women regularly experienced insomnia symptoms, such as trouble falling asleep, waking up in the night, or waking up earlier than planned, and 14 percent frequently dealt with short sleep duration.
About 7% reported habitual insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration.

The researchers discovered that those who had chronically high insomnia symptoms had a higher risk of developing CVD later in life.
In addition, women who regularly slept less than five hours a night had a slightly higher risk of heart disease.
Individuals who persistently had high insomnia symptoms and slept less than five hours a night had a 75% higher risk of heart disease, even when the researchers adjusted for CVD risk factors.
According to the researchers, the findings highlight the impact long-term sleep problems can have on women’s heart health.

Here’s what you can do to get better sleep

Experts say you should aim get about seven to eight hoursTrusted Source of sleep a night. People looking to improve their sleep can take the following steps:
• Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
• avoid caffeine
• maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule
• exercise regularly
Medications can be prescribed to treat insomnia and a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine can be used by those with sleep apnea.