How Does Sleep Help the Circulatory System?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you get a certain amount of sleep every night depending on your age. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep on a regular basis. Research shows that even healthy adults who deprive themselves of sleep are vulnerable to heart disease. Regular, peaceful sleep helps maintain a healthy heart and prevent heart conditions.

Circulatory System

• The circulatory system is made up of the heart, lungs and blood vessels. The circulatory system has three components: pulmonary circulation (the lungs), coronary circulation (the heart) and systemic circulation. Pulmonary circulation is the pumping of blood between the heart and lungs. Movement of blood through the heart's tissues is coronary circulation. Systemic circulation pumps blood throughout the body's tissues. The three systems work together to nourish and maintain the body.

Maintaining a Healthy Heart

• Richard Knox, Science Desk correspondent for NPR (National Public Radio), wrote the article "Study: Early to Bed Keeps Heart Healthy." In it he states, "The human heart requires a certain amount of sleep every night to stay healthy, and that link between sleep and heart health is stronger than researchers suspected, according to a report in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association.'" Anne Harding's article "Less sleep in older adults linked to heart attack, stroke risk" on cnnhealth discusses the link between sleep deprivation and heart disease. Kristen Knutson is a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago. Harding quotes her: "There's a lot going on during sleep. We think whatever is happening in the brain, in the body is sort of helping to maintain a multitude of processes--endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular."

Increased Risk of Heart Attack & Stroke

• A study conducted by Diane Lauderdale, Ph.D., of the University of Chicago's Department of Health Studies, shows that lack of sleep results in calcium buildup in the arteries, leading to plaques that break off and in turn causing heart attacks and/or strokes. "We have enough evidence from this study and others to show that it is important to include sleep in any discussion of heart disease," says Dr. Tracy Stevens, spokesperson for the American Heart Association and a cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute. Scientists are unsure what causes the calcium buildup from chronic lack of sleep. Some suggestions are that during sleep, blood pressure lowers; with less sleep this relaxed state is shortened. Another possibility is inflammation. Sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels, leading to inflammation, which may dislodge plaque and cause heart attacks and/or strokes.

Diabetes

• The American Heart Association notes studies that show that "short-sleepers" have a higher risk of developing "impaired fasting blood glucose." A short-sleeper is someone who sleeps less than six hours a night on a regular basis. This condition often leads to type-2 diabetes. Fasting blood glucose measures how much glucose or sugar is in the blood after not eating for eight hours. Research shows that sleep deprivation leads to blood sugar abnormality.

Getting a Good Night's Rest

• Sleep hygiene helps your heart.

  With all of the daily stresses it is difficult at times to get enough restful sleep. Mayo Clinic oncologist Dr. Edward T. Creagan emphasizes the importance of sleep hygiene to maintain health. For him this includes getting seven to eight hours of sleep, clearing his mind of worries and stresses before going to sleep, and looking back on the day and appreciating his life and all the people involved in it.

  Dr. Creagan writes that lack of sleep leads to a weaker immune system, impaired thinking, a short fuse and impaired reflexes. Make sure your sleep environment is quiet and peaceful. See your doctor if you are having difficulty sleeping so she can address the issue immediately.