Latest / From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing / Sleep and Recovery Optimization

Transcript

Sleep and Recovery Optimization · From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing

• 0:07
  Welcome back to the podcast where we focus on
• 0:09
  real life tools, education and support for heart
• 0:12
  health recovery and long -term wellness. I'm
• 0:16
  Arnita, your host. And today we're talking about
• 0:18
  something that is often overlooked, but incredibly
• 0:21
  important for your heart, sleep. After a cardiac
• 0:27
  event or surgery, your body needs more than just
• 0:30
  medication and movement. It needs rest and restoration.
• 0:34
  Today, we're going to talk about how to improve
• 0:36
  your sleep through sleep hygiene routines and
• 0:41
  understanding your circadian rhythm and how sleep
• 0:45
  directly impacts your heart health. Sleep hygiene
• 0:48
  and setting the foundation. So this simply means
• 0:52
  that Starting with sleep hygiene means creating
• 0:56
  an environment and habits that support good sleep.
• 1:00
  Some simple ways to improve your sleep hygiene
• 1:02
  are to keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet,
• 1:07
  limit screen time before bed, avoid heavy meals
• 1:11
  or caffeine late in the day, or creating a calming
• 1:16
  pre -sleep environment. These small adjustments
• 1:19
  can make a big difference in how well you rest.
• 1:24
  Routines, you must train your body to rest. Your
• 1:29
  body thrives on consistency. Creating a bedtime
• 1:32
  routine helps signal your body that it's time
• 1:35
  to wind down. This might include going to bed
• 1:38
  and waking up at the same time each day, gentle
• 1:41
  stretching or light reading, and practicing relaxation
• 1:45
  techniques. So over time, these routines help
• 1:48
  your body prepare for sleep naturally. And this
• 1:52
  is where your sleep tracker in your toolkit becomes
• 1:55
  helpful. It allows you to track your sleep patterns,
• 1:59
  notice what improves or disrupts your rest, stay
• 2:03
  consistent and staying consistent with your routine.
• 2:09
  Your body's internal clock, the circadian rhythm.
• 2:13
  is your body's natural sleep -wake cycle. It's
• 2:17
  influenced by light exposure, daily habits, and
• 2:22
  timing of meals and activity. When your rhythm
• 2:25
  is balanced, your body knows when to feel awake
• 2:28
  and when to rest. Simple ways to support your
• 2:32
  rhythm, get natural light during the day, limit
• 2:35
  bright light at night, and stay consistent with
• 2:39
  sleep and wake times. Your sleep tracker helps
• 2:42
  you see patterns and stay aligned with your body's
• 2:44
  natural rhythm. Now, how this impacts your heart?
• 2:49
  Sleep is not just about feeling rested. It directly
• 2:52
  impacts your heart. Poor sleep can increase blood
• 2:56
  pressure, affect heart rate, increase stress
• 3:00
  levels, and impact recovery after surgery. Quality
• 3:04
  sleep supports healing, energy levels, and overall
• 3:08
  cardiovascular health. This is why sleep is a
• 3:12
  key part of your heart health system. Now, let's
• 3:17
  bring it together by using your toolkit as a
• 3:20
  sleep system. Your sleep tracker is more than
• 3:23
  a log. It's a tool for awareness. It helps you
• 3:27
  track sleep duration and quality, identify patterns,
• 3:31
  and build better routines. This sleep... This
• 3:35
  turns sleep into something you actively support,
• 3:38
  not something you leave to chance. Did you know
• 3:43
  poor or inconsistent sleep has been linked to
• 3:45
  an increased risk of high blood pressure and
• 3:48
  heart disease? Sleep is not optimal. Sleep is
• 3:52
  not optional. It's essential for heart health.
• 3:56
  Now here's a question for you to reflect on this
• 4:00
  week. Ask yourself. What is one change I can
• 4:04
  make to improve my sleep routine and how might
• 4:07
  that impact my overall health? Small changes
• 4:11
  can lead to better rest and better recovery.
• 4:15
  Now I have the top end down pat. I wake up at
• 4:21
  five o 'clock every morning between three and
• 4:24
  five, but mostly five. That was the time that
• 4:29
  I got up for work every morning for many, many
• 4:33
  years, and so my circadian clock hasn't changed
• 4:36
  in that area. But the going to sleep part, I'm
• 4:39
  trying to get myself down and snuggled in by
• 4:44
  nine o 'clock, 10 at the latest. I'm still struggling
• 4:47
  with that. But just get, just that's something
• 4:53
  that I have to, that I'm continuously working
• 4:56
  on to improve, just getting to sleep at night.
• 5:00
  are getting to bed at night, as soon as I hit
• 5:02
  the pillow, I'm out. So that's one of the good
• 5:06
  cues right there for me that once I lay down,
• 5:09
  excuse me, I'm out. So, you know, I'm gonna start
• 5:13
  taking more of an advantage of, you know, trying
• 5:17
  to get to bed, get snuggled in, at least again
• 5:22
  by 10 at the latest. Now, here's the food of
• 5:26
  the week. We're talking about non -starchy vegetables.
• 5:30
  They include leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers,
• 5:36
  peppers, and zucchini. That's not a comprehensive
• 5:40
  list, but these are some of the basics. They
• 5:42
  are rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants. These
• 5:47
  nutrients support heart health, digestion, and
• 5:51
  reduced inflammation. Now, there are simple ways
• 5:54
  to include them. Add to meals throughout the
• 5:57
  day. use as snacks or side dishes, or incorporate
• 6:02
  them into salads, soups, or stir -fries. They're
• 6:07
  a simple and powerful way to support your overhaul
• 6:09
  or health. Now, in closing, sleep is one of the
• 6:13
  most powerful tools you have for recovery and
• 6:15
  heart health. Protect your rest, build your routine,
• 6:20
  and track your progress. Give your body the time
• 6:24
  it needs to heal. Thank you for being here. for
• 6:28
  taking care of your heart and for continuing
• 6:30
  your journey toward better heart health. So until
• 6:35
  next time, take care of your heart and be well.