How Insomnia Impacts Heart Health: Risks, Research, and Prevention

Understand how chronic insomnia disrupts cardiovascular well-being, influences heart attack risk, and what you can do to protect your heart.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 25, 2025

Understand how chronic insomnia disrupts cardiovascular well-being, influences heart attack risk, and what you can do to protect your heart.

Getting enough restful sleep is crucial not only for daily function but also for maintaining optimal heart health. Extensive research now establishes a strong link between chronic insomnia and an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke. This article explores the evidence, explains possible mechanisms, highlights risk factors, and shares strategies for protecting your heart through better sleep.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up earlier than intended and being unable to return to sleep. It may be acute (short-term, often related to stress) or chronic (persisting at least three nights a week for three months or more). Estimates suggest that 10% to 30% of adults in the United States experience chronic insomnia, with higher rates in women, older adults, and people with existing health issues.

Difficulty falling asleep
Frequent nighttime awakenings
Early morning awakenings
Poor sleep quality

People with insomnia often experience fatigue, mood disturbances, trouble concentrating, and impaired quality of life during the day.

How Sleep Supports Heart Health

Normal, restorative sleep is a vital period for the heart and blood vessels. During the deeper stages of sleep, the body slows its heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and decreases stress hormone production. These changes help the heart recover from the daily strain and allow blood vessels to repair themselves. Inadequate sleep disrupts these restorative processes, placing sustained stress on the cardiovascular system.

Non-REM sleep (deep sleep): Heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly, decreasing heart workload.
REM sleep: While the heart rate may increase briefly, overall, the heart and blood vessels get needed rest and repair.
Nocturnal dipping: Healthy sleep is associated with a 10-20% drop in nighttime blood pressure (“dipping”); missing this can raise long-term risk of heart attack and stroke.

Evidence Linking Insomnia and Heart Disease

Research shows a strong and consistent connection between chronic insomnia and an elevated risk of a range of cardiovascular conditions:

Heart attacks: People with insomnia are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack than those without sleep disorders.
Recent large studies show a 45% to 69% higher risk of heart attack among adults with chronic insomnia compared to non-insomniacs, even after controlling for age and other risk factors.
High blood pressure (hypertension): Insomnia increases the risk of persistent elevated blood pressure, a key driver of heart disease and stroke.
People who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night have a higher likelihood of developing hypertension, with risk especially high in middle-aged adults and those with other stressors.
Stroke: Several studies report a 50%+ increase in stroke risk in people with chronic insomnia symptoms, particularly with persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Other cardiovascular issues: Insomnia is associated with higher rates of heart failure, atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of the arteries), and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

Condition	Increased Risk from Insomnia	Key Findings
Heart Attack	45%–69%	Across multiple studies, insomnia is an independent risk factor for heart attacks.
Stroke	~54%	Persistent insomnia can increase stroke risk by more than half within just four years.
Heart Failure	3x higher (if all major insomnia symptoms present)	Risk increases further with coexisting diabetes or hypertension.
High Blood Pressure	Significantly increased	Sleep loss impairs normal blood pressure dips during sleep, raising 24-hour blood pressure averages.

How Insomnia Raises the Risk of Heart Disease

Scientists are still working to pinpoint all details of how insomnia affects the cardiovascular system, but research highlights several key mechanisms:

Increased stress hormones: Poor or short sleep elevates cortisol and adrenaline levels, which keep the body in a prolonged “fight or flight” state. Elevated cortisol can cause the heart to work harder and raises blood pressure.
Altered inflammatory response: Chronic sleep deprivation heightens inflammation throughout the body, including the arteries. This chronic inflammation can contribute to the buildup of plaque in arterial walls, fostering atherosclerosis and increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Impaired metabolic processes: Inadequate or poor-quality sleep negatively impacts glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes—both strong risk factors for heart disease.
Disruption of blood pressure regulation: Healthy sleep ensures nighttime blood pressure dipping; insomnia blunts this dip, maintaining higher blood pressure around the clock, thereby increasing cardiovascular strain and damage over time.
Calcium buildup in arteries: Studies indicate that short or disrupted sleep can accelerate calcium buildup in the heart’s arteries, further raising the risk for heart attack even in the absence of traditional risk factors.

Who Is Most Vulnerable?

Although anyone can be affected, some populations are more vulnerable to the heart-related dangers of insomnia:

Women: Data suggest women with insomnia face a higher increased risk of heart attack than men with insomnia.
Middle-aged and older adults: Those over age 40 are more likely to have coexisting cardiovascular risk factors, amplifying insomnia’s effects.
People with diabetes or high blood pressure: Insomnia doubles the risk of heart attack in people who already have diabetes or hypertension.
People with multiple sleep issues: The presence of all three major insomnia symptoms—difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and early awakening—increases risks threefold or more.
People under chronic stress: Occupational or emotional stress amplifies insomnia’s negative effects on blood pressure and heart health.

Insomnia Symptoms vs. Sleep Quality: What Matters Most?

Recent research suggests not all sleep complaints equally affect heart health. The presence of insomnia symptoms such as trouble falling or staying asleep poses more risk than simply feeling unrefreshed after a full night in bed. However, chronic non-restorative sleep can still worsen stress and inflammation, indirectly affecting the heart over the long term. The most significant risk for heart disease and heart attacks is found among people who consistently get five or fewer hours of sleep per night.

How Much Sleep Is Best for Your Heart?

Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health. Both chronic short sleep (< 6 hours) and chronic long sleep (> 9 hours) have been linked to increased cardiovascular risk, so achieving and maintaining a regular, healthy sleep pattern is essential. Good sleep hygiene and lifestyle measures can go a long way in supporting heart health.

Consistently strive for 7–9 hours of sleep per night.
Avoid both chronic undersleeping and oversleeping.
Prioritize sleep as much as you do nutrition and exercise to protect heart health.

What are the Warning Signs to Watch For?

Chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep
Regularly getting less than six hours of sleep
Extreme fatigue or impaired focus during the day
Unexplained high blood pressure
Worsening or new heart symptoms (shortness of breath, chest discomfort, palpitations)

Tips for Improving Sleep and Protecting Your Heart

Protecting your sleep can have wide-ranging benefits for your heart. Here are evidence-based strategies for better sleep and, by extension, better cardiovascular health:

Prioritize a regular sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Create a restful environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Use earplugs, masks, or white noise devices if necessary.
Limit caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals: Avoid these for several hours before bedtime.
Exercise regularly: Moderate exercise during the day promotes better sleep, but avoid vigorous activity late at night.
Avoid screens before bedtime: Blue light emitted by phones and computers interferes with the sleep hormone melatonin.
Manage stress: Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to reduce bedtime anxiety.
Seek medical help for persistent insomnia: If sleep problems last more than a month or interfere with daily life, consult your doctor or sleep specialist.

When to See a Doctor

Difficulty sleeping persists despite improving habits
Daytime fatigue is severe
There are symptoms of heart trouble (such as chest pain or palpitations)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can insomnia really cause a heart attack?

Long-term research shows people with chronic insomnia are at significantly higher risk of heart attacks compared to those without sleep difficulties. Insomnia can worsen blood pressure, inflammation, and stress hormones, all of which increase heart attack risk.

How many hours of sleep do I need for heart health?

Most experts recommend 7–9 hours of quality sleep nightly for optimal heart protection. Too little (under 6 hours) or too much (over 9 hours) raises cardiovascular risk.

Is it only adults who need to worry about insomnia affecting the heart?

While most studies have focused on adults, inadequate sleep at any age can strain cardiovascular health, metabolism, and mood. However, risks rise sharply with age and in those with existing heart or metabolic concerns.

Does treating insomnia lower my heart risk?

Some studies suggest that improving sleep may help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and promote vascular repair. Sleep-focused lifestyle changes are considered a vital part of heart disease prevention and management plans.

When should I speak to my doctor about insomnia?

If poor sleep lasts more than a month, causes day-to-day issues or coexists with heart risk factors, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider. Treatment may include behavioral therapy, medication, or further investigation for hidden heart or sleep disorders.

Resources and Further Reading

American Heart Association: Insomnia and Heart Health
Sleep Foundation: How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Heart
American College of Cardiology: Insomnia and Heart Attack Risk
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Sleep Deprivation and Heart Disease

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete