Sleep for women in their 40s is important factor in hearth health. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in our Country. Particularly in your 40’s when hormones levels are fluctuating – sleep becomes a very important factor in your health. When your body is deprived of the proper # of hours of sleep your heart has to work harder. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that getting less than 7.5 hours a night puts your risk for heart disease at a higher amount. A new Duke University study found that if it takes more than ½ hour to fall asleep or for those women who awaken frequently during the night time may have inflammation in their arteries and greater levels of insulin which are two risk factors for heart disease.
Other risk factors of heart disease are:
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- being overweight
- being a smoker
- not exercising regularly
- if you have had a previous heart attack, stroke or heart surgery.
- having a family history of heart disease
Thus the importance of relaxing before you go to sleep cannot be overstated. Do your best to fall asleep. If not, get up and do something calming like reading or listening to relaxing music to help you. Definitely skip the television and the computer right before getting to bed. The health of your heart is worth the extra effort to get better sleep.
Additional Resources:
- Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects More Than Your Mind
- Lack of Sleep is one Cause for Type II Diabetes
- 6 Ways To Get Better Sleep
- Proper Sleep equals better Control of Blood Pressure and CardioVascular Health
- Simple Tips to Sleep
- The Powers of Vitamin D: Better Sleep and a Better Mind
