"Bad sleep should be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases alongside smoking, lack of exercise, and poor diet," summarizes the results of a conducted study Prof. Valeri Gafarov from the World Health Organization.
Increased risk
The study commissioned by the World Health Organization examines the trends and causes of cardiovascular diseases. It involves 657 men aged between 25 and 64 years without a history of heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. Their sleep quality is assessed over a period of 14 years.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of participants who had a heart attack also had sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are closely related to anxiety, depression, and exhaustion, but the study also finds that men with sleep disorders have a 2 to 2.6 times higher risk of myocardial infarction and a 1.5 to 4 times higher risk of stroke compared to those without sleep disorders.
Food vs. sleep
"If you undertake fasting for 1 week (the so-called intermittent fasting), how do you think you will feel on the seventh day? Probably a little tired and weaker, but ultimately fine. And what if you don't sleep for an entire week? After a few days, you will be almost completely unable to function. It is no coincidence that Amnesty International defines sleep deprivation as a form of torture."
An article in Harvard Business Review states that sleep is more important than food. Another study is cited, in which participants were placed in an environment without clocks or windows. They were told to sleep whenever they felt tired. As a result, 95% of them slept between 7 and 8 hours every 24 hours, while another 2.5% slept more than 8 hours. This means that only 2.5% of all participants need less than 7 hours of sleep per night to feel fully rested.
The study shows that even small doses of sleep deprivation significantly affect our health, mood, cognitive abilities, and productivity. Perhaps it is time to abandon the myth that if we sleep 1 hour less, we will have 1 hour more for work and productivity. In practice, it is exactly the opposite.
The Impossible Compensation
A study in the United Kingdom with 400,000 participants assesses lifestyle based on five factors – smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, and sleep. 10,218 people develop heart disease. Researchers find that individuals with poor sleep patterns and bad habits have a 25% higher risk of heart disease and a 29% higher risk of heart attack.
"Bad sleep can have an additional inflammatory effect on blood vessels," emphasizes Dr. Paul Natterson, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center.
This risk is on average about 10% lower among participants who have poor lifestyle habits but good sleep patterns. Researchers summarize that adhering to a healthy sleep pattern can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, but it cannot completely eliminate it. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep per night for people aged 18-64 and 7-8 hours of sleep for people aged 65 and older.
If we want to take care of our health, we need to weigh the factors that directly influence it. Specifically for sleep, not only the duration matters, but also its quality. To have a good sleep, it is quite logical to start not from somewhere else, but from the place where it will happen – the most suitable mattress for us.
