Could sleep be the secret to a healthier heart?
CEO Alli Truttmann shares her family's personal story and why she's so passionate about sleep.
February is National Heart Health Month are we are so happy to be partnering with the American Heart Association in effort to raise awareness for the disease that has affected my family so deeply. We all strive for a healthier heart.
A few months ago, my family was once again stuck by the disease that took both the lives of my grandfather, his twin brother, and most recently, my grandmother. My 43-year-old cousin stood up after cleaning up the kitchen after their Thanksgiving meal and as began making his way over to his chair to rest, he swiftly fell to the floor unconscious. The two words you fear most: heart attack.
Jason and his/our family certainly had angels flying overhead that night, because his mother-in-law, who was already en route to come by for a piece of pie, is a cardiac ICU nurse and she immediately began performing CPR. Living in a rural town where ambulances aren't a stone's throw away, she administered CPR for over 20 minutes before EMS arrived and could defibrillate him. He had had what they call, a “widow-makers” heart attack and was then rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery. Thanks to all parties involved, Jason is alive, well, and very grateful.
My grandfather, who ended up dying from complications of Type II Diabetes, a common co-morbidity of heart disease, had 11 heart attacks starting at the age of 35 before he died. And his twin brother suffered from sudden cardiac death at age 47. Both of my parents and my brother, who are all seemingly "fit as fiddles" (non-smokers, avid exercisers, and eat “clean”) have been on cholesterol lowering medication (statins) since their early 30s.
Like many of you, we could tell story after story where a healthy-looking, physically fit friend of family member suffers a massive cardiac event or is on a medication that monitors cholesterol, blood pressure, or anxiety. Our intent here today, however, is not to point out what we already know. It's to ACT and to educate you on the importance of SLEEP as it plays a role in the treatment and prevention of heart disease.
We are a better sleep company after all. 😉
In an article published by the National Sleep Foundation, they remind us that patients with sleep apnea are also at higher risk for cardiovascular related problems because their sleep is disrupted frequently throughout the night. Without long, deep periods of rest, certain chemicals are activated which keep the body from achieving extended periods in which heart rate and blood pressure are lowered. Over time, this can lead to consistent high blood pressure during the day and a greater chance of developing heart related issues.
One of the things that we believe Wicked Sheets does better than any other sleep product company, is listen. Our CEO, Alli, still answers the phone just so that she can relate to and empathize with our customers. After all, who better to answer those questions about night sweats and hot flashes than the one who suffers from them?
Hear what our customers are asking about better sleep and heart health:
Is there a magic number? How many hours should I be sleeping?- Yes, there’s a magic number. It’s 8. Work your way up or down to 8 hours of sleep and you’ll be performing better all around. Not even specifically because of the number of hours but because of the routine. When your body has expectations, it can rest and rehabilitate on schedule rather than being surprised by how much or how little sleep love you’re going to give it night to night. So basically, your body has to work less to get more.
- Yes, you can absolutely oversleep. Again, going back to the number of hours you’re sleeping is of less importance than what happens to your body when it’s in repose for that long. Your body needs movement; the blood that pumps through your muscles AND organs, like the heart, love to be challenged. So when you're up, stay up and when you're lying down, sleep hard...but for no more than 8 hours.
- Yes, and in fact, HECK YES! But nap for 26 minutes and 26 minutes only. Around 2 or 3pm is a great time to give your body a recharge. It’s not right after lunch so you’re not sleeping on a completely full stomach and your brain has likely been on overdrive since you showed up for work at 8am, so take 26 minutes to recharge and you’ll be able to work confidently and creatively until well past 6pm. Here's a company that we love who supports our theory!
So there you have it, friends. These were some of our customer's most consistent questions about sleep and how sleep can help yo have a healthier heart. Remember, at Wicked Sheets our goal is to help you sleep better by keeping you cool and dry. When you’re not waking up hot or wet, you’re not disrupting your sleep. And now you know, better quality sleep can lead to a healthier heart!
Now follow our lead! The American Heart Association has funded more than $1.4 Billion in research since 1949. We're proud to support their "Life is Why We Give Campaign" this year in order to keep that research going. Click the icon below to join us in supporting this great cause for all to have a healthier heart:
