From Denise Mann
HealthDay reporter
THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Waking up briefly during the night can do more than make you feel grumpy and tired in the morning.
Sleep disorders can actually increase the chances of dying prematurely from heart disease or other causes, and women seem to be more affected by these effects than men.
“The data underscores all the more reasons why we humans need to study whether or not they feel refreshed and how much sleep they get each night,” said Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. who checked the results.
Nocturnal excitement is caused by noise, temperature, pain, or pauses in breathing due to sleep apnea. They’re short and often you don’t know they’re occurring unless they’re strong enough to wake you or your bed partners. However, if these excitations occur frequently, they can affect your health.
For the new study, researchers analyzed data from sleep monitors worn by participants in three studies. A total of 8,000 men and women were observed for an average of six to eleven years.
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Women who had more nocturnal insomnia for extended periods of time were almost twice as likely to die from heart disease and also more likely to die from all other causes than women who slept better, the study showed.
Men with more common nocturnal insomniacs were about 25% more likely to die early from heart disease than men who had better sleep, the investigators found.
The triggers for arousal to sleep or the body’s response to it may be different in women than in men, said study author Dominik Linz, associate professor of cardiology at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands.
“Women and men may have different compensatory mechanisms to deal with the harmful effects of arousal,” said Linz.
How – or even if – sleep disorders lead to an increased risk of early death is not fully understood, and the new study was not designed to identify cause and effect.
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However, the authors of an editorial that accompanied the results have some theories.
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“Many people with frequent arousal and poor sleep have other risks for heart disease, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and lung disease,” said editor Dr. Valentin Fuster, director of the Mount Sinai Heart in New York City.
Anxiety and stress can also rob you of sleep and are known to have adverse health effects.
“During short or intermittent sleep, sympathetic nervous system activation and inflammation can play a more direct role,” said Fuster.
When activated, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the release of stress hormones, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and can increase the risk of heart disease over time.
Linz said the best way to improve sleep and reduce nighttime disturbance is to eliminate arousal triggers.
Consider sound machines to filter out noise and make sure the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable. If you’re overweight or have sleep apnea, treating these symptoms can help avoid episodes of “unconscious vigilance,” Linz said.
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Fuster offered several other strategies that can add years to your life: relieving stress through relaxation techniques like yoga, and making sure all risks for heart disease are under control.
The new study had some limitations. The use of drugs that can impair sleep was not taken into account. Monitoring only took place one night, while sleep monitoring readings fluctuated from night to night. In addition, most of the participants were white and older, so the results may not apply to different populations.
The study and the editorial were published in the European Heart Journal on April 20.
The new findings should serve as a wake-up call, said Matsumura, who is also a sleep doctor at the Oregon Clinic in Portland.
“When people don’t feel good and don’t wake up refreshed, many don’t realize they need to be examined by a sleep specialist,” she said.
It is also important to take steps to improve the quality of sleep, Matsumura added.
“Consider developing a nightly routine that induces rest and relaxation, including reading, recording, or meditating,” she suggested. “Limit noise and distractions by making your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little cool – and only use the bed for sleeping, not for watching TV or reading.”
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Restricting alcohol, caffeine, and large meals before bed can also help you sleep better, Matsumura said.
More information
Learn about healthy sleep habits at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
SOURCES: Dr. Dominik Linz, Associate Professor of Cardiology, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, Netherlands; Dr. med. Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart and chief physician of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City; Andrea Matsumura, MS, Sleep Medicine, Oregon Clinic, Portland; European Heart Journal, April 20, 2021
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