Cardiovascular Consequences of Sleep Loss

There are serious negative effects of sleep loss when reduced sleep happens day after day. It is common knowledge that the recommended sleep amount is 8-9 hours- however even with this amount of sleep, there are factors that could prohibit you from staying in the right sleep states. These causes could be stress, a bad sleeping environment, or even a bad diet. 

It is important to ensure that you are sleeping to your fullest, otherwise, one of the most negative effects of sleep loss will be inflammatory cardiovascular struggles. It has been found that sleep loss can result in heightened blood pressure, which thus can cause many other determinants regarding the cardiovascular system (Mullington). Cardiac Contractility, otherwise explained as the rate at which your blood is pumped out of your heart and into the systemic circulation of the rest of your body, and cardiac output, the rate at which your blood pumps through the rest of your body, are also major issues. These issues can be caused by deterred blood pressure- a negative effect of sleep loss, or of lacking the correct sleep stages.

Sleep deprivation in both men and women has been linked to impaired glucose tolerance, more commonly known as Prediabetes. Impaired Glucose Tolerance is a state in which risk of diabetes is incredibly high. According to Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Hennepin County, sleep loss can resemble insulin resistance to the body over time, which is a precursor to diabetes (Mann). While it can be diagnosed and treated, it must be carefully maintained and watched. Blood pressure issues can also cause Prediabetes, which as mentioned above can be caused by sleep loss. Thus the risk of sleep is heightened in a situation where your sleep quality is reduced, as well as the amount of sleep you’re getting. 

“Impaired Glucose Tolerance.” Impaired Glucose Tolerance - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/impaired-glucose-tolerance.

Mann, Denise. “The Link Between Sleep and Diabetes.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/diabetes-lack-of-sleep.

Mullington, Janet M., et al. “Cardiovascular, Inflammatory, and Metabolic Consequences of Sleep Deprivation.” Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, W.B. Saunders, 24 Dec. 2008, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033062008000911?casa_token=hu6nA_F9k20AAAAA%3AvZxAOoW1Hb2EN9JJSFIqVYTp4NR0lZoAGvbKJnAGLAWSeliE3SX7v5Yw7K2oS4rtiClndWAjBAZz.