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Tips To Sleep Well With Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) can take a toll on your sleep health, and night after night of not getting quality slumber can leave you feeling lifeless, irritable, unable to concentrate, etc. You might even feel weak and fatigued during the day and this daytime tiredness might be in part the result of sleep problems aggravated by or occurring in conjunction with heart failure. If you wake up feeling exhausted or you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to cut down your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs of disturbed sleep. Its far reaching impacts can range from interfering with your ability to work (might even become hard to perform the simple day-to-day tasks) and lowering our immune systems, to making us more vulnerable to depression.


Connection between heart failure and sleep:
No matter your heart is healthy or otherwise, a good night’s sleep is important for your heart as well as your energy levels, thinking skills and overall health. If you can deal with your sleep problems, you may ease the strain on your ticker.

If an individual has heart failure, it means his/her heart does not pump blood efficiently, which can cause fluids to accumulate in the body- especially in the lungs, which is what causes complications. It is the complications of HF that tends to affect one’s sleep. For example, chest pain and discomfort can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep, you might experience shortness of breath while lying in bed, you may have to get up during the night to relieve yourself.

When you lie down to sleep, the fluid slowly shifts and settles in your body and can end up stressing your lungs making them congested, which is what causes shortness of breath leading you to wake up, or toss and turn in shallow sleep. Inform your doctor if this is what’s happening to you. To deal with this problem, try raising the head end of the bed (if you have an adjustable bed), you can also use some additional pillows to support your head, which will help to relieve the pressure of the fluid on your lungs and should ease your breathing.

If you’ve consistently been experiencing shortness of breath, don’t delay in informing your doctor because it may be a sign that your heart failure is worsening and adjustment to your current treatment regimen may be needed.

A condition by the name of sleep apnea is sometimes associated with heart failure. This condition is mainly characterized by loud snoring, or noisy and labored breathing or that sometimes your breathing is interrupted by gasping and snorting. Notify your doctor if you are experiencing these signs as the sooner you get advice on managing this type of breathing disruption, the better your quality of life.

Also, factors like taking medicines (diuretics) too close to bedtime could increase the likelihood of taking multiple toilet trips through the night. To avoid this situation, take your medicines earlier in the day, of course in consultation with your healthcare provider (do not make changes to your medication routines without talking to your doctor first). Other reasons include not feeling ready to go to sleep or having a heavy meal in the evening that might come in the way of getting quality sleep. Follow these tips:

1.      Exercise during the day
2.      The best time to take a nap is after lunch
3.      Have your evening meal at least two hours before your turn in for the night

Do not accept broken sleep as part of having heart failure, it’s best that you discuss it with your doctor for a quick solution.

Get trained in the lifesaving CPR procedure at AHA certified CPR Memphis in Tennessee to be able to overcome untoward cardiac emergencies efficiently. For more information, contact CPR Memphis on 901-438-4200.
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