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How you sleep determines how you feel throughout the day. Science continues to uncover more and more evidence about why good sleep is at the core of a healthy lifestyle. Some researchers argue that it is as important as a proper diet and regular exercise.
Unfortunately, as society becomes increasingly busy, we become more susceptible to sleep deprivation, which can cost us more than we realize.
Recent studies on men’s sleep quality report that the majority of men have sleep problems ranging from mild to severe sleep disturbances. I’m not surprised. But what was unexpected was the finding that people with sleep disorders were more than twice as likely to experience a heart attack. This caught my attention and made me wonder if a sleep disorder could have such a powerful negative effect.
First, lack of sleep can disrupt your hormones and cause undesirable consequences such as stimulating your appetite, which can lead you to eat more and gain body fat. As men age, fat tends to accumulate in the central area, which is the area where fat tends to accumulate. This is because excess belly fat promotes insulin resistance and causes high blood pressure, which can eventually lead to him developing type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, sleep deprivation may contribute to increased risk of heart disease through three established heart disease risk factors: excess body fat, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
What causes sleep disorders?
I then shifted my attention to what might be causing my sleep problems. For example, obesity can cause sleep apnea. This creates a vicious cycle of increased appetite, weight gain, and even more disrupted sleep.
Another cause of sleep disturbance is worry. Research has shown that people with sleep disorders are more likely to report having serious social problems, such as divorce, conflict at work, and death in the family. These are important events, but which ones disrupt your sleep the most? What happened? In other words, when two people are faced with the same problem, one person may be anxious and react very strongly, while the other person may be more relaxed and not worry about it as much. This adds personality to the mix.
Does personality affect heart health?
Many years ago, personality was proposed to be a contributing factor to heart disease. It was thought to be due to the so-called Type A personality, which is competitive, ambitious, aggressive, unstable, and easily upset. However, further research has revealed that being type A does not necessarily have negative effects on your health. Contrary to Type B, it’s okay to be a workaholic, even if your lifestyle is enthusiastic (relaxed, patient, non-competitive, etc.).
why?
Additional research has revealed the degree of hostility in your personality and approach to life that matters most when it comes to heart disease risk. Hostile personality traits suggest an overarching trait of taking things too personally, as described by psychiatrist Dr. Redford Williams in his 1989 book, The Trusting Mind. In short, a hostile personality always promotes psychological stress, and such stress is an established risk factor for heart disease.
Williams’ book also clarified how to recognize hostility within oneself and what to do about it.
When I first read this book, I thought, “How kind of me, this guy follows me around 24 hours a day and takes notes.” It was enlightening, but humbling, to realize that my approach to life had been too adversarial and overly individualized.
For example, I always seemed to multitask and rush, and at the time I would get angry if anything got in my way. If the car in front of you was too slow in the passing lane, you would mentally blow up the car.
“Why would he do that? He’ll be late.”
Even worse, I personalized it and whatever was happening wasn’t just happening randomly. It happened to “me” and I resented it and caused anger.
Can personality changes affect heart health?
My newfound awareness of hostility led to a change in me, and I realized that although I still react instinctively to certain situations, I had a choice. You can be frustrated, angry, and express it, or you can recognize those feelings and decide not to act the way you have been. I made this big and important change with the help of psychologist Ed Kopp. Ed Kopp has helped me tremendously in many ways, and his effectiveness has been remarkable.
As a result, I’m a happier person and it’s much easier to get along. And, just as importantly, I believe my heart health has also made great strides.
If you have excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and ongoing high levels of psychological stress, your heart is at great risk. Is it possible that these factors can be traced back to lack of sleep or the way you approach life, your personality? Maybe. If so, take corrective action today.
Contact Bryant Stanford, professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College, at stamford@hanover.edu..
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