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.
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