If you’re one of those people who face difficulty falling asleep or toss and turn even while sleeping, you might want to look after it. Getting less sleep than recommended extend far beyond a cranky mood and can hamper with your productivity. Constant sleep deficit could ultimately put your heart in danger.
People with poor sleeping patterns put their hearts at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including stoke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Sleeping for less than six hours per night increases the risk of death by 12 %, according to multiple researches. Now, there are days (rather, nights) when the sleep struggle is real and you won’t get sufficient amounts of it, but getting a good night sleep is important as sleep restores energy, drops blood pressure, relaxes breathing, and hold your mental horses back.
If you suffer from restless nights and worry about the health of your heart, try these 5 sleep tactics that might kill these two birds with one stone.
1. Have a sleep schedule
This one comes as old news but to have a sleep schedule and sticking to it will help keeping you and your heart happy. Get your body in the habit of sleeping and waking up at the same time everyday. It may sound only plausible in an ideal world, but catching up on sleep around the same time saves your heart the threat of stroke and even death.
6-8 hours of sleep is required for the body to recharge itself and smoothly perform its bodily functions. Consistency is key with this one.
2. Limit those daytime naps
As ironic as it may sound, naps don’t really count when it comes to saving the heart from different ailments. Long naps during the day can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you can’t help yourself, limit yourself up to maximum of 30 mins and avoid doing it late in the day.
3. Create surroundings that help
Using external triggers to create a room ideal for sleeping also helps. Drawing the curtains, diming the lights down is another remedy to facilitate better sleep. A darkened room with right temperature and comfortable bed will help you fall asleep faster. You can always go the extra mile with indulging in calming activities before bedtime like soaking in a warm bath salt infused bath, or lighting a scented candle in the room. But don’t forget to blow it out.
And while you’re at it, avoid prolong use of your light-emitting screen as well.
4. Foods to eat and to avoid
It seems as though eating clean and healthy is the solution to every problem. Even if that’s not true, it may have a connection here. Milk, chicken, and pumpkin seeds help improving sleep. These foods contain tryptophan and serotonin which runs the production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep.
Coming to the bad news, better and improved sleep calls the sacrifice of alcohol, caffeine and large meals. Avoid drinking coffee or any other caffeine product before bedtime could affect sleep. Even a cup of coffee late afternoon can disrupt sleep. Avoid consuming sugary items as well, as they spike the sugar levels and wreck havoc on your body clock.
5. Regular exercise
Keeping fit with physical activity is great for sleep. Exercise makes your heart stronger as well. Regular exercise promotes better overall health, including heart health. Go for a hike or lift weights at the gym, any form of physical activity pumps more blood with each heartbeat. Just avoid being active right before bedtime and give your mind and heart the break that it deserves.
