Have you ever experienced your heart racing or fluttering after properly sleeping at night? Often heart palpitations feel like your heart is skipping a beat, pumping too fast, or pounding harder than normal. While this can be triggered by a number of factors, lack of sleep remains a potential trigger. Sleep deprivation will stress your body, disturb the nervous system, and trigger heart function. But when an individual fails to rest, it will truly result in health issues like heart palpitations? Further, let’s explore the connection between heart palpitations and sleep in detail.
What are heart palpitations?
Heart palpitations are nothing but a sensation where you feel like your heart is pumping irregularly. This includes:
- A rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
- A slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
- A fluttering or pounding feeling
- Skipped beats
These palpitations will last for a few seconds or minutes, and they can either occur when you are at rest or moving. Typically, this is harmless, you should be worried about this only when it occurs more frequently or when it becomes severe because this might indicate an underlying health issue, then you need sleep disorder treatment in Coimbatore to get the desired results.
How does sleep deprivation affect the heart?
When not getting enough sleep you will not just feel tired, it will disturb your entire system, notably your heart. Further, let’s see how sleep deprivation results in heart palpitations.
- More stress hormones:
When you are not getting sufficient sleep or rest, your body will start releasing cortisol and adrenaline, the stress hormones. Eventually, these chemicals will make your heart pump harder, resulting in palpitations and an irregular heartbeat.
- Disrupts the autonomic nervous system:
Your autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling those involuntary body functions, notably the heart rhythm. Sleep greatly helps in regulating this system, so simply when you are experiencing sleep deprivation, automatically the balance will be disturbed, causing your heart to beat unusually.
- Hypertension:
High blood pressure and lack of sleep have a strong connection, which stresses your heart to work harder than normal. When this persists, it will result in palpitations and other cardiovascular issues.
- Inflammation and oxidative stress:
Insufficient sleep will result in inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are harmful to the heart. The heart’s electrical signal will get disturbed by this inflammation, which will result in palpitations.
- Increased risk of arrhythmias:
When experiencing sleep deprivation in the long run, it will increase the likelihood of arrhythmias, and unusual heart rhythms that cause palpitations. Notably, individuals with conditions such as sleep apnea are at risk.
Who is more prone to sleep-related heart palpitations?
Simply, anyone can experience heart palpitations due to lack of sleep, but a few people are more prone to it than others, like:
- Individuals with chronic stress and anxiety.
- Individuals with sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia.
- People with heart conditions like arrhythmias or hypertension.
- People who consume alcohol late at night.
- Individuals who are working night shifts or having an irregular sleep pattern.
What are the causes of heart palpitations?
While sleep deprivation may be one of the primary causes, other factors that trigger stress and heart palpitations include:
- Caffeine and stimulants like energy drinks, nicotine, and medications.
- Dehydration
- Low blood sugar levels
- Thyroid disorders
- Anemia
- Electrolyte imbalances
- High levels of stress and anxiety
How to reduce heart palpitations and improve sleep?
In case you suspect that insufficient sleep is causing your heart palpitations, further, let’s see some effective ways to enhance your sleep quality and reduce the symptoms:
- Follow a proper sleep schedule:
Just sticking to the same sleep schedule everyday you can regulate your body’s internal clock.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine:
Clam yourself before bedtime by reading books, meditating, or taking a warm bath. Avoid using phones at least one hour before bedtime, because those blue lights can disturb your melatonin production.
- Avoid binging caffeine and alcohol:
Both alcohol and caffeine can greatly disturb your sleep and increase the likelihood of palpitations. Avoid consuming alcohol and caffeine closer to your bedtime.
- Follow proper diet:
Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can trigger heart palpitations. Consuming sufficient water throughout the day and consuming nutrient-rich foods will improve your heart health.
- Manage stress and anxiety:
Try doing some stress-relieving activities such as yoga, deep breathing, or mindfulness. In case anxiety remains a major concern, consider getting medical help to alleviate your stress and heart palpitations.
- Exercise daily:
Simply, engage yourself in physical activity, it will greatly help in regulating your heart health and enhance sleep quality. Also, make sure not to do intense workouts close to your bedtime because it will increase your adrenaline levels, and eventually, you will find it harder to fall asleep.
- Treat underlying sleep disorder:
Whenever you suspect that you have sleep apnea, insomnia, or another sleep disorder, consult a healthcare provider. Just by treating these conditions, you can greatly reduce palpitations and enhance your heart health.
When to get medical help?
As mentioned above, occasional heart palpitations are harmless, and you should be concerned about them only when you experience:
- Persistent palpitations
- Dizziness or fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- A history of heart disease
When your doctor may suggest tests such as ECG, blood test, or Holter monitor to rule out underlying conditions, all you need to do is just reach out to the best cardiac hospital in Coimbatore to get the desired results.
Final thoughts:
In conclusion, we can say that insufficient sleep can greatly contribute to heart palpitations by increasing the stress hormones and disturbing the nervous system, and heart function. Occasional palpitations are usually harmless, but persistent sleep deprivation will add more risk to your heart health. Prioritizing good sleep habits, managing stress, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can assist in enhancing your heart health. In case you feel like your heart palpitations are occurring repeatedly, don’t overlook it, reach out to the healthcare professional to ensure that your heart stays healthy and strong.