Tag Archives: sleep

Sleep Is Important For A Healthy Heart

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Not only is getting good, quality sleep important to your energy levels, it’s also important for your health, including your heart health.

Sleep plays a key role in helping your body repair itself. Getting enough good sleep also helps you function normally during the day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following tips on sleep.

How much sleep do I need?

Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night. Failing to get enough sleep over time can lead to serious health problems.

What health conditions are linked to a lack of sleep?

Adults who sleep less than seven hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression.

What sleep conditions can hurt my heart health?

Sleep apnea happens when your airway gets blocked repeatedly during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for short amounts of time. Sleep apnea affects how much oxygen your body gets while you sleep and increases the risk for many health problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Insomnia is trouble falling sleep, staying asleep, or both. As many as one in two adults experiences short-term insomnia at some point, and 1 in 10 may have long-lasting insomnia. Insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Over time, poor sleep can also lead to unhealthy habits that can hurt your heart, including higher stress levels, less motivation to be physically active, and unhealthy food choices.

What can I do to get better sleep?

  • Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
  • Get enough natural light, especially earlier in the day. Try going for a morning or lunchtime walk.
  • Get enough physical activity during the day. Try not to exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
  • Avoid artificial light, especially within a few hours of bedtime. Use a blue light filter on your computer or smartphone.
  • Don’t eat or drink within a few hours of bedtime, especially alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Visit the CDC’s website for more information on getting good sleep.

From Other Blogs: Spring cleaning your medicine cabinet and pantry, varying your vegetables, understanding why sleep is important to heart health & more

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A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.

Spring clean your medicine cabinet

Spring cleaning—it’s a rite of passage as temperatures begin to heat up and the season starts to change. Remember to add your medicine cabinet, kitchen cupboard or wherever you keep medications to your spring cleaning list. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog

Planning Some Spring Cleaning? A Check List for a Food-Safe Pantry and Refrigerator

The refrigerator and pantry are where most people store their food. But these storage areas may also be one of the less frequently cleaned places in your home, which could be hazardous to your health. — From the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) blog

Why sleep is important to your heart

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, among men and women alike. Risk factors for heart disease include:

  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • Smoking
  • Family history

While you may be familiar with these risk factors, insufficient sleep can greatly impact your heart as well.  — From Flourish

Going Nuts for Calories!

We all love nuts, but we’re careful not to eat too many because of the high fat calories. Now, there may be less to worry about. In a series of studies, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) physiologists David Baer and Janet Novotny looked at how many calories of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are used by the human body. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as whether the nuts are raw, roasted, or ground, and how well they’re chewed. — From the USDA blog

Vary Your Veggies without a High Cost: Corn Five Different Ways

Frozen corn is just as nutritious as its fresh counterpart. Frozen corn is a great vegetable to incorporate into any meal or side dish; it adds a touch of sweetness to the dish it complements. It’s quick and easy to prepare—no washing or chopping needed (what a time saver), plus it’s versatile and delicious. There are many ways to prepare frozen corn—baking, roasting, steaming, microwaving or even thawing out and adding to a salad. — From the USDA blog

Tracking Network Data Spotlight Poisonings

CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) connects people with vital public health information. It has data and information that can inform a wide variety of environmental and public health efforts. In recognition of National Poison Prevention Week, we’re highlighting data and information available on the Tracking Network that relate to poisonings. — From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Your Health Your Environment blog

Here Are Six Tips To Help Make 2018 Your Healthiest Year Yet

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If you want to make this your healthiest new year yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has got some tips help you boost your health and well-being.

  1. Make an appointment for a check-up, vaccination, or screening. Regular oral and medical exams and tests can help find problems before they start or early in the process.
  2. Wash your hands often with soap and water to prevent the spread of infection and illness.
  3. Make healthy food choices. A healthy eating plan includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk, milk products, lean meats, poultry and fish. Make sure foods are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
  4. Get active! Start small – try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Consider mall walking if the weather is cold or icy.
  5. Be smokefree. If you are ready to quit, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569 for Spanish speakers) for free resources, including free quit coaching, a free quit plan, free educational materials, and referrals to other resources where you live.
  6. Get enough sleep. Adults need seven or more hours nightly.