According to recent study, there is a strong link between worsened PTSD symptoms and poor sleep after suffering a heart attack. Poor sleep factors include: bad overall sleep, sleeping pill use, sleep disturbances and short sleep duration.
PTSD is often caused by a traumatic event as mostly affects war veteran or people who have survived an attack. It is very common among heart attack survivors as well; 1 in 8 heart attack survivors will develop PTSD. Its symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, emotional problems and anxiety. Researchers suggest that the strong association between acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-induced PTSD and sleep may be due to the fact that disturbed sleep is embedded in the PTSD phenotype and its diagnosis.
The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, Yale University and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. It included 188 people who had had a heart attack within the past month. Their sleep quality and their PTSD symptoms were measured.
The results mirrored those of previous studies; up to 70% of people with PTSD experience sleep disturbances. Disturbed sleep to due nightmares increase the risk of PTSD while PTSA leads to increased fragmented sleep and nightmares.
Another research suggests that mindfulness training can play a role in decreasing PTSD symptoms. Meditation and stretching seems to decrease symptoms and increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol. When people have PTSD, their cortisol levels are abnormally low, bring them up to normal range can be beneficial.
Taking the time to put your health first can pay off ten-fold in the future! Consult with your physician if you are experiencing PTSD symptoms!
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