Missing out on deep sleep? It could raise your blood pressure
Not only does missing that sleep make you irritable and cranky in the morning hours, negative health effects over a span of time could affect your heart and add to the risk of high blood pressure. That is what researchers from University of California and Harvard University have determined in this new study which is published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
Researchers examined nearly 800 males over the age of 65 and had no hypertension at the start of the study. Each participant had received at home sleep tests which had observed their sleep patterns and measured for non-rapid eye movement sleep also referred to as “slow wave sleep” or “deep sleep”. Researchers monitored participant’s changes in blood pressure for slightly over three years.
In the past sleep problems have been associated to high blood pressure and sleep apnea, (chronic disorder where a person awakens several times during the night struggling for breath) has been substantially associated to hypertension. It still is not certain if this disorder causes high blood pressure or if high blood pressure causes the disorder.
The researchers had taken age, body mass index and age into account. Researchers discovered that time spent in slow wave sleep was the only measure of sleep quality linked to risk of hypertension. Among the participants 41% who had received the least slow wave sleep had eventually developed hypertension in comparison to 26% of participants who received the most slow wave sleep.
Health experts mostly define slow wave sleep as the time in which the body is replenishing its energy reserves. Blood pressure rates decrease, breathing and heart rate slow down. Most people usually fall into a deep sleep during the early part of the night.
Dr. Susan Redline, Professor of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston and the author of study had stated their study has shown for the first time that poor quality sleep, mirrored by reduced slow wave sleep places individuals at a remarkably increased risk of developing high blood pressure, and that this result seems to be independent of the influence of breathing pauses during sleep.
Dr. Redline notes that the research advocates that if your blood pressure does not decrease considerably while you’re sleeping it could damage your blood vessels. Lack of deep sleep can also cause the parts of the brain that control release of several hormones and other substances associated to maintaining proper blood pressure to work less effectively.
How do you tell if you are not having a deep sleep? According to Dr. Donald LaVan, National Spokesperson for the American Heart Association says if you do not sleep properly you are tired during the day, you snore or your spouse you do not breathe while you are sleeping. Dr. LaVan advices to get it check out and see if you do have a sleep problem.
High blood pressure numerous of times has been called the ‘silent killer” and places people at risk for heart disease and other conditions.
Dr. Redline states that sleep quality is the one thing you should pay attention too.
A few alternatives to get goodnights sleep:
Chiropractic
Chiropractic has been proven effective in diagnosing sleep disorders and treatments to get you that goodnights sleep.
Chiropractors will evaluate sleep problem complaints and take a complete history of sleep along with physical examine particularly the neurological, cardiopulmonary and psychological functions.
Chiropractic is a great treatment for those who do not feel rested and do not wish to take prescription medications to help them get quality sleep.
Reflexology
Reflexology just may be able to help in lessening or eliminating sleep problems. Reflexology can bring you deep relaxation to the nervous system therefore, relieving stress and balancing the body’s natural rhythms which regulate sleep. It will enhance circulation allowing for better, nerve, brain and organ functions.
Practitioners in or around Detroit:
150 West Congress Street
Detroit
313-918-0703
A & L Chiropractic Clinic (also reflexology)
24281 Middlebelt Road
Farmington Hills
248-477-3977
1234 Porter Street
Detroit
313-355-0629
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