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heart disease overview > how the heart works >
Sleep and Heart Health
Your Cardiovascular System and Heart During Sleep
Normal Sleep: The Cardiovascular System's Reaction
The deep stages of NREM sleep are a rest period for the cardiovascular system, says William Abraham, M.D., director of the division of cardiovascular medicine at Ohio State University. Here's why: Heart rate and blood pressure fall. During the REM sleep period, in contrast, heart rate and blood pressure increase.
Disturbed Sleep: The Heart's Reaction
One study found that: - People with severe sleep apnea are four times as likely as healthy individuals to have atrial fibrillation, or quivering of the upper chambers of the heart.
- Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke and heart failure.
- Sleep apnea sufferers are three times as likely to have very fast beating of the lower chambers of the heart.
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