Insomnia - Your Sleep Problems May Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack
Can fall asleep again? You are certainly in good company. Medical experts have estimated that nearly 32 million Americans or 1 in 8 experience some type of sleep symptoms or insomnia. Unfortunately insomnia may cause more serious health problems than fatigue and irritability. Several recently completed medical studies have found a compelling link between duration of sleep and incidence of heart disease.
Japanese researchers followed the sleep patterns of 1200 individuals for four years. After adjusting for the many risk factors traditionally associated with heart disease, they found that individuals who slept less than 7.5 hours per day were at an increased risk for not only heart disease but stroke as well. It believed that people with sleep symptoms that prevent them from sleeping may experience higher blood pressures while attempting to fall sleep than individuals who successfully doze off and are able to get their full eight hours.
Can get in a full eight hours? Even so, another study published in the Journal of American Medicine suggested that each additional hour of sleep over seven and a half hours may substantially reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease. For example going from 5 hours of sleep to 6 hours seemed to reduce the risk for heart disease by nearly a third.
There are many medical causes of sleep symptoms such as insomnia. If you suffer from insomnia, consider scheduling an appointment with your doctor to make sure you don have a serious medical problem that might be responsible for your sleep symptoms. Common medical conditions associated with insomnia include obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid dysfunction, asthma and restless leg syndrome.
Once you and your doctor have ruled out more serious medical problems you still have some decisions to make to deal with your sleep symptoms. Do you take an over-the-counter or prescription sleep aid? Do herbal supplements or homeopathic remedies help? Are there any lifestyle modifications or sleep aid programs that can be useful? The important thing is to come up with a solution that works so you can get the rest you need to maintain your good health.