Not sleeping enough or on time? Doctor shares 3 silent cardiovascular risks you shouldn't ignore

If you are regularly making sleep the background character in your routine, going to bed after you have wrapped up work late or finished doomscrolling, it won't be long before you start to see the health consequences.

While the immediate effects may seem manageable, including groggy mornings and midday micro-sleeps, the actual impact is far more serious, putting your heart at significant risk. Only by being well-informed about the risk factors does one start to take sleep seriously, as it is not just a daily checkbox in your routine, but an essential reset for your health. 

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Kayan Siodia, Consultant, Cardiology at P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, shared three major ways in which poor sleep can directly impact heart health, ranging from irregular heartbeat to high blood pressure and even sleep apnea. 

He said, "Epidemiological studies consistently show that people who get less than six hours of continuous sleep a day have a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, regardless of age or other factors. Skipping sleep regularly can quietly put your heart at risk." 

Here are some of the ways poor sleep affect your health: 

1. Arrhythmia

• Chronic sleeplessness, insomnia, or disturbed sleep causes a neurohormonal unrest.
• This further causes the heartbeat to become irregular due to sleep deprivation, and this leads to arrhythmias (irregular heart rate).

2. Hypertension

• Hypertension, a disease closely related to sleep, finds its genesis not merely in salt or stress but also in sleeplessness.
• Both sleep and BP are intricately controlled by the body's hormonal system, particularly cortisol and the adrenergic system.
• When the body's natural day-night rhythm is disrupted, sleep patterns become disturbed. This can lead to ongoing high blood pressure, which slowly damages other organs and affects the body's overall metabolism.

3. Sleep apnea

• Lack of sleep also causes sleep apnea, also known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA.)
• This is characterised by spells of low oxygen due to muscle laxity in obese individuals, which subconsciously awakens the brain as the body struggles for oxygen.
• This has a detrimental effect on the neurohormonal balance, which causes a permanent increase in BP.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.