Bad sleep habits are bad for the heart, especially for Black people
Ahead of American Heart Month, physicians and experts are urgently warning the public — and Black people in particular — of the importance of good sleep hygiene.
When was the last time you had a full eight hours of sleep? If you’re a Black American, chances are, you’ve been missing out on sleep at alarming rates.
According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 43.5% of Black adults reported getting less than seven hours of sleep a night, compared to 30.7% of white adults.
Losing out on regular quality sleep can lead to — or exacerbate — a host of health problems, many of which disproportionately impact Black people. Among the top health concerns of African-Americans, which include Alzheimer’s disease, is cardiovascular health.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly 47% of Black adults have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, compared to 36% of white adults, and an average of 59% of Black adults have been diagnosed with hypertension. Black men are 70% more likely to experience heart failure than white men; meanwhile, Black women are 50% more likely.
As we prepare to commemorate another American Heart Month in February, physicians and experts are urgently warning the public — and Black people in particular — of the importance of good sleep hygiene. Azizi Seixas, associate director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told USA Today: “Sleep is not like a bank account, where if you take out money, all you have to do is put it back, and all is good.”
“”We call it social jetlag,” the Black sleep expert added, “and what we have found is that it can cause accelerated aging … You can feel good cognitively if you pull an all-nighter. But you would have put a lot of miles on the car, so to speak, and you cannot reverse the odometer. You’ve just added miles that you didn’t need to.”
Tara Robinson, who, after suffering a series of heart attacks at random, founded the Black Heart Association in Texas, with her husband, told the publication she learned the hard way how important sleep can be.
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Describing the time almost a decade ago, when she experienced the heart event, she said: “I don’t think I knew what sleep was. Coming out of that, I was always trying to figure out my next move. How do I pay the bills? How do I care for my child? You’re stuck in fight or flight.”
Race isn’t the only factor when looking at the impacts of sleep on the heart. The CDC also found that sleep doesn’t come easy to those with lower socio-economic status.
Now, as Robinson advises others through her organization, she speaks out about the importance of a good night’s sleep.
“How we sleep, how we manage our stress,” she said, “how we eat – all that plays a part in our heart health.”
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