Sleep & The Heart: The Hidden Lever

We talk a lot about diet, exercise and stress—yet one of the most powerful “medicines” for your heart is something you do every night: sleep. Too little or poor-quality sleep pushes blood pressure up, worsens glucose control and can trigger heart rhythm problems in susceptible people. It isn’t a luxury; it’s a cardiovascular lever you can adjust.

Why Sleep Matters for Blood Pressure (and Metabolism)

Large, recent analyses show that routinely sleeping less than about seven hours a night is linked with a higher risk of developing hypertension. Improving sleep duration and regularity is a tangible change most patients can make, and it pays off in numbers.
Short or fragmented sleep also disrupts insulin sensitivity and weight control—two pathways that nudge cardiovascular risk in the wrong direction.

When Sleep Becomes a Heart Stressor: Sleep Apnoea

If your partner notices loud snoring or pauses in breathing, or you wake unrefreshed with morning headaches, consider obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Repeated oxygen dips and arousals activate the sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) system, raise night-time blood pressure and are linked with atrial fibrillation (AF). Treating OSA can help reduce AF burden in selected patients.

A Quick Screening Path

Screening starts with simple questions: sleep duration, quality, bed/wake times, loud snoring, witnessed apnoeas and daytime sleepiness. When OSA is suspected, a brief tool such as STOP-Bang helps estimate risk before formal testing (home sleep study or in-lab polysomnography) if indicated.

During a 30-minute preventive visit we typically:

•        Review sleep habits and red flags (snoring/pauses, unrefreshing sleep)
•        Check blood pressure and heart rhythm (ECG)
•     Assess metabolic risk (cholesterol and glucose, where appropriate)
•     Decide next steps: a home blood-pressure log, sleep testing or cardiac imaging based on symptoms and risk

Treatment Pathways that Work

Sleep hygiene and behavior. Regular bed/wake times, a wind-down routine, screens down in the evening and consistent daytime movement improve sleep quality and next-day blood pressure. For chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is first-line.

For Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

·        CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is the cornerstone. In patients with OSA and resistant hypertension, CPAP meaningfully lowers 24-hour blood pressure; effects are generally more modest in lower-risk groups.

·        Adjuncts such as weight management, positional therapy and mandibular advancement devices can help in selected cases (your sleep study guides the choice).

·        For patients with atrial fibrillation, addressing OSA is part of comprehensive rhythm care because OSA is associated with higher AF burden and recurrence.

How Much Sleep Should I Aim For?

The American Heart Association now includes sleep in its cardiovascular health checklist. Most adults should aim for 7–9 hours nightly, alongside the familiar pillars (diet, activity, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and avoiding nicotine). Quality and regular timing matter as much as total hours.

Your Next Step

If you—or your partner—notice loud snoring or breathing pauses, if you wake unrefreshed, or if your blood pressure is stubbornly high, it’s worth a focused review. Small sleep changes can unlock improvements that pills alone sometimes can’t.

Book a preventive review with Dr. Fady Turquieh; let’s add sleep to your plan.