Getty Images stock

Insomnia doesn't just make you tired -- it may also give you heart issues.

By Markham Heid
Prevention

As if physical fatigue and a foggy brain weren't bad enough, restless nights may also harm your heart. A new multi-year study published in the European Heart Journal finds evidence of a substantial link between insomnia and the risk of heart failure.

For more than 11 years, a study team from several Scandinavian universities tracked the sleeping habits and heart failure rates of more than 50,000 men and women. The researchers focused on the three major hallmarks of insomnia: trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and waking up still feeling fatigued.

Why Am I Tired All The Time?

Unfortunately, the results of their analysis are enough to keep a person up at night: Among participants who experienced just one of those symptoms "occasionally" or "often," rates of heart failure increased 5% and 14%, respectively, compared to those who didn't struggle with sleep. But for those who experienced all three symptoms frequently, heart failure rates more than tripled, says study co-author Lars Laugsand, PhD, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

"Insomnia is a disorder marked by hyperarousal," Laugsand says. So instead of the restful state you should experience while sleeping, insomnia increases activity in your sympathetic nervous system, which in turn releases a flood of stress hormones into your bloodstream. This hormonal surge appears to boost blood pressure, which explains why periods of insomnia can make you feel like your heart is pounding or your body is overheating.

6 Scary Times For Your Heart

These stress hormones also increase inflammation levels and spur the release of catecholamines, a group of compounds that previous research has tied to an increased risk of heart disease, Laugsand adds.

What can you do about it? Well, get more high-quality sleep. While that's a lot easier said than done, Laugsand recommends focusing on the following four aspects of your sleep regimen:

Behavior. Avoid naps and spend at least 30 minutes relaxing before bed. That means no TV, computers, or digital devices that may keep you wired or stimulated. And establish a sleep routine that you stick with: Wake up and go to bed around the same times every day.

6 Tools For Better Sleep

Environment. Keep your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible, and turn the thermostat down. Previous research has shown that if your head is cool, you tend to fall asleep more quickly.

Diet. Avoid caffeine 6 to 8 hours before bed, and go easy on the alcohol, which is a major sleep disrupter. Hunger can also keep you up at night. So if it's been a while since you last ate, a light snack can help you nod off.

Exercise. If you don't tire yourself out during the day, it'll be tougher to fall asleep at night. Even a low-key workout routine, like walking or gentle yoga, can help.

10 Reasons You Can't Sleep

More Links:
Natural Sleep Cures From The Far East
Sleep Like A Baby...Tonight
7 Natural Sleep Inducers
Lack Of Sleep Linked To Stroke

Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.

By Andrew Winner

 For anyone who has felt like their heart might explode after a spin class, the truth might not be that far off -- biochemically speaking, that is. New research out of Sweden has shown an hour of spinning triggers the same biochemical reactions as a heart attack. 

Research from the University of Gothenburg has shown that spin workouts and other forms of strenuous exercise can secrete the same enzymes into the bloodstream as a heart attack, increasing the possibility of a misdiagnosis. The results will be published in the Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal.

According to study author Smita DuttaRoy, any manner of taxing physical exertion can cause a similar increase in cardiac biomarkers, including marathon running, triathlons and long-distance bike rides. However, the effect is probably as natural as it is harmless, and enzyme levels generally move back down to baseline levels within 24 hours.

Nevertheless, doctors and emergency personnel should be aware of the link between these cardiac biomarkers, as they are known, when making diagnoses and initiating treatments.

“We haven't studied whether elevated cardiac enzyme levels post-exercise are dangerous, however we don't have any reasons to believe that these levels suggest any actual damage to the heart,” DuttaRoy wrote in an e-mail. “The pattern of cardiac enzyme level elevation post-exercise with a quick normalization (within 24 hours), is different from a heart attack, where the cardiac enzymes often stay elevated for days.” 

“The increase in troponin we found after a spinning session most probably demonstrates a physiological response to exercise that we have now been able to show,” she added.

DuttaRoy’s study put ten healthy people, average age of 30, through a one-hour spin workout. Simple blood tests were done before the session, one hour after the session, and again 24 hours later. The tests showed elevated levels of the cardiac biomarker troponin T, with two participants surpassing the threshold routinely used for heart attacks. A key different is that the levels went back to normal one day later, whereas heart attack victims can see their troponin T levels stay raised for several days after the event.

In a healthy heart, troponins are involved in the contraction of the heart muscle.

What’s the best course of action? DuttaRoy advises disclosing any recent physical activity to your care provider when being treated for chest pains. It’s possible that an elevated number of cardiac biomarkers could cause a misdiagnosis.

“People should seek medical advice if they have chest pain, no matter if it is following exercise, rest or other activities,” DuttaRoy cautioned. “However, the attending physicians should be aware of that troponins can be elevated following strenuous exercise and should take that in account when assessing the patient.”

Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.