There’s nothing quite like that feeling of falling into bed at night and waking the next morning feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Sadly, as we get older, it can often be increasingly difficult to get to sleep, stay asleep and feel well-rested in the morning.
But it’s important to prioritize good sleep. Logging a restful seven to nine hours a night is linked to numerous health benefits. Not getting good sleep can increase your risk of several health issues — most notably, heart disease.
So while you’re busy eating a heart-healthy diet and getting the regular exercise your heart needs, don’t forget about the importance of what happens at night.
The link between sleep and heart health
The evidence pointing to a connection between better sleep and a healthier heart is so strong that the American Heart Association added sleep to its list of heart health essentials. Sleep joins other lifestyle factors on the list, including diet, exercise, not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.
Sleep affects your heart in a number of ways. Consistently logging less than seven hours of sleep has been shown to increase inflammation in the body. When that type of systemic inflammation becomes constant, it can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Those are all conditions that put you at a greatly increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Running a sleep debt also tends to decrease your willpower and increase your cravings. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to gravitate toward easy-to-eat (but not necessarily healthy) foods. You’re also more likely to skip your workout. Maintaining an unhealthy diet and not being active are two big contributors to heart disease.
Sleep challenges become more common with age
As you get older, you understandably become more concerned about keeping your heart healthy. Unfortunately, sleep — one of the healthiest things you can do for your heart — can become more elusive around the same time.
The way you sleep can change — for the worse — with age. You may not sleep as deeply, which can mean waking up numerous times throughout the night. You may not even recognize in the morning that you woke up repeatedly, but those tiny breaks in sleep can rob you of essential rest.
Older adults are more likely to report that they suffer from health conditions that impact sleep. Things that affect your sleep as you age can include:
- Insomnia: This is the most common sleep disorder. People with insomnia have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Medications: You may find that you take more medications now than when you were younger. And some of those could impact your ability to sleep well.
- Mental health: Depression and anxiety can, not surprisingly, make restful sleep more difficult.
- Nocturia: Defined as having to get up to pee during the night, nocturia can lead to disrupted sleep. The more times you get up to go to the bathroom, the worse your sleep gets.
- Pain: Arthritis or any other cause of chronic pain can keep you up at night.
- Restless leg syndrome: This condition can lead to uncomfortable twitching and sensations in your legs while you’re trying to sleep.
- Sleep apnea: Undiagnosed (and untreated) sleep apnea can cause you to wake several times throughout the night and seriously disrupt your sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea often snore loudly, which can also impact your partner’s ability to get a restful night’s sleep.
Sleep tips for older adults
Consistently getting less than the recommended amount of sleep can increase your risk of heart disease. But even knowing that, it can be difficult to overcome the issues keeping you up.
If your sleep issues are related to pain management, mental health or medications, talk to your doctor. Finding ways to ease those concerns can lead to better sleep. If you think you might have a sleep disorder — such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome — you may want to consult a sleep specialist. They can help accurately diagnose and effectively treat all types of sleep disorders.
No matter what’s getting in the way of restful, heart-healthy sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene can help. That means making sleep a priority and adopting these good-sleep habits:
- Avoid late afternoon or evening naps.
- Create a relaxing pre-bed ritual. This could include sipping some herbal tea, taking a warm bath or doing some relaxing yoga poses or breathing exercises.
- Don’t eat a big meal close to bedtime. Heartburn or indigestion can make it hard to fall asleep.
- Keep screens out of the bedroom. The light from your phone, tablet or television can interfere with falling asleep.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol for several hours before bed. Both can disrupt your sleep.
- Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet to help promote restful sleep.
If you’re concerned about heart disease — or about your sleep habits — talk to your doctor. They can help put you on the right path to both better sleep and a healthier heart.
