When it comes to protecting your heart, you likely consider factors like diet, exercise, and avoiding smoking. However, cardiologists emphasize that there’s another often-overlooked habit that could be quietly aging your heart: insufficient sleep.

Sleep isn’t merely a period of rest; it’s an active, restorative process that regulates blood pressure, inflammation, blood sugar, and even your heart’s rhythm. Chronic sleep deprivation, or consistently poor sleep quality, can trigger a cascade of changes that strain the cardiovascular system.

How Chronic Sleep Deprivation Ages Your Heart

Raises Blood Pressure

“All animals sleep. This tells us that sleep is a natural and essential component of life,” says cardiologist Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC. “It’s perhaps not surprising then that chronic sleep deprivation—meaning not getting enough sleep or enough quality sleep—can have wide-ranging impacts on our body.”

One of the most common ways a lack of sleep affects the heart is through elevated sympathetic tone, which is the “fight or flight” portion of your nervous system. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body remains in a heightened state of alertness. “Sleep deprivation affects the cardiovascular system through elevations in sympathetic tone and increased inflammation,” Klodas explains. “High sympathetic tone predisposes to blood pressure elevations, and arrhythmias.” Over time, this elevated blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, thickens the heart muscle, and damages arteries, accelerating cardiovascular aging.

Increases Inflammation and Plaque Buildup

Inflammation is a key contributor to atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque inside the arteries. “Insufficient sleep is associated with elevated inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6. Chronic inflammation damages the endothelium—the lining of blood vessels—accelerating plaque formation and increasing cardiovascular risk,” explains Danielle Smiley, RDN, LDN, CD-N.

Promotes Insulin Resistance

Chronic sleep deprivation also negatively impacts how the body regulates glucose. “Even short-term sleep restriction can reduce insulin sensitivity,” adds Smiley. Studies show this can lead to high glucose levels and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Over time, this damages blood vessels and contributes to the buildup of fatty material in the arteries, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Klodas notes that sleep deprivation can also lead to less healthy lifestyle choices. “We might exercise less because we’re already tired. We might eat poorly because we are not as cognitively tuned into healthy choices or because we just want comfort foods. Both of these effects can lead to worsening blood sugar control.” When well-rested, we’re more likely to make healthier choices.

How Much Sleep is Enough?

While the ideal amount of sleep varies, experts generally recommend aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you find it difficult to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, experience loud snoring, wake up gasping for air, or feel excessively sleepy during the day, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider, as these could be signs of sleep apnea.

Ways to Improve Your Sleep Quality

Improving your sleep quality is a powerful way to support your heart health. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Move your body daily. Physical activity helps regulate circadian rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and improve sleep quality. “Stress during the day can contribute to poor sleep at night. A great stress reliever is exercise. Even just going for a 15-minute walk can do wonders for stress management,” says Klodas.
• Skip the alcohol before bed. “Alcohol might make you relaxed so that you can fall asleep more easily, but the metabolites of alcohol are stimulating, ultimately disturbing slumber,” Klodas explains. Consider water or herbal tea, like chamomile, instead.
• Avoid screens right before bedtime. The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and TV screens suppresses melatonin, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep. “Reducing screen exposure and avoiding stimulating tasks about an hour before sleep can help lower cortisol and support melatonin production,” Smiley explains.
• Choose sleep-supportive foods. Certain nutrients may promote better rest. “Favor foods that naturally contain sleep promoters like melatonin, magnesium and/or potassium,” says Klodas. Smiley recommends avoiding large, high-sugar meals late at night as they can disrupt sleep and glucose regulation. “A balanced dinner with fiber, lean protein and healthy fats—finished two to three hours before bed—supports steadier overnight blood sugar and fewer awakenings,” adds Smiley.

Our Expert Take

Chronic sleep deprivation doesn’t just leave you feeling groggy; it elevates blood pressure, increases inflammation, disrupts blood sugar control, and can trigger dangerous heart rhythm disturbances. “Those effects might not be felt directly, but that doesn’t make them any less worrisome,” Klodas says. The cumulative strain of poor sleep can quietly age your arteries, increase plaque buildup, and raise your risk for heart attack and stroke. “Improving sleep doesn’t require a complete life overhaul,” adds Smiley. Small, consistent habits, such as moving daily, limiting alcohol, reducing screen time, and choosing sleep-supportive foods, can give your cardiovascular system the nightly reset it needs to function at its best.