As heart disease increases in the US, health experts are increasingly honing in on lifestyle tweaks that could slash the risk, right down to your bedtime routine.
Cardiovascular disease – a group of conditions including high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, among others – takes nearly 1 million lives in the US every year, making it America’s leading cause of death.
It’s well known that obesity, poor diet and a lack of physical activity all harden arteries and induce inflammation, raising the risk of heart disease.
But a top cardiologist speaking to the Daily Mail has revealed that beating heart disease may require a look at your nighttime habits and sleep.
‘Sleep is extremely important in maintaining health as it is a time where the body and mind recharge, repair and rebuild,’ Dr Cynthia Kos, advanced heart failure specialist at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, told the Daily Mail.
‘This is when the heart gets the most rest since the body winds down wakeful functions and relaxes by increasing the parasympathetic nervous system’s tone. This increased, restful parasympathetic tone leads to lower heart rate and blood pressure, allowing the heart to do less work and take a break.’
She also notes that irregular sleep ‘can interfere with your body’s metabolism, affecting how it processes sugar and regulates appetite.’
‘This can increase your risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which are major risk factors for heart disease,’ Kos added.
Below are common nighttime mistakes people make and Kos’ top tips for slashing your risk of heart disease.
Going to bed at different times every night
Crafting a consistent bedtime routine is key for reducing the risk of sleep-related heart issues, Kos notes.
‘Create a relaxing bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to calming music, to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down,’ she said.
Having a consistent bedtime routine helps stabilize the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This has profound effects on heart rate, blood pressure and artery health.
One 2021 review found better sleep efficiency, or adherence to a routine, helped the arteries relax. Relaxed arteries allow blood to flow more freely throughout the body, reducing strain on the heart.
Another 2025 study in the journal Nutrients found that people with the most sleep irregularity had higher body weights and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, raising their risk of developing heart disease later in life.
‘When your sleep schedule is erratic, it can prevent your blood pressure from dipping at night as it naturally should, leading to higher average blood pressure levels. This constant pressure can strain your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease,’ Kos said.
Snacking before bed
To lower heart disease risk and promote restful sleep, Kos warns against munching right before bed time.
Recent research also suggests steering clear of the habit. A 2023 study in the journal Nature Communications looked at dietary records from more than 100,000 people and found that those who ate after 9pm were at a 13 percent greater risk of heart disease than those whose last meal was before 8pm.
The risk of cerebrovascular disease – conditions that restrict blood flow to the brain, such as a stroke – rose by eight percent with each hour delay of the last meal.
People who had their last meal at 9pm or later also had a 28 percent risk of cerebrovascular disease than those who ate before 8pm.
Fasting at night, meanwhile, decreased cerebrovascular disease risk by seven percent.
Kos told the Daily Mail she particularly avoids alcohol, caffeine, sugary drinks and spicy foods within three hours of her bedtime.
Alcohol at first acts as a sedative, but it suppresses rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is crucial for regulating blood pressure during sleep. Caffeine, meanwhile, promotes wakefulness, while spicy food causes heartburn, triggering heart palpitations. And compounds like capsaicin in spicy food raise body temperature, which may disrupt sleep quality.
Having a distracting bedroom
Kos advocates for keeping your bedroom as basic as possible while still prioritizing comfort.
‘Don’t be uncomfortable when you go to bed, either with uncomfortable pillows or old mattresses, warm/hot temperatures or background noise,’ she said.
Being physically uncomfortable while trying to sleep triggers the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response, raising levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This makes the body too alert to effectively rest, raising heart rate and blood pressure.
Recent research has also found warm temperatures during sleep can worsen heart health over time. One study published last month in older adults found people who slept in bedrooms that were more than 75 degrees Fahrenheit were 1.4 times more likely to develop stress-related heart issues.
Additionally, background noise causes micro-arousals, which are brief shifts in brain activity from deep sleep to wakefulness. This reduces the amount of time spent in REM sleep.
‘Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet to create an environment that is conducive to uninterrupted sleep,’ Kos said.
Not turning off your tech
Kos makes sure to put her phone down and turn the TV off at least an hour before bed.
Much like being uncomfortable, watching a stressful or intense show before bed triggers fight-or-flight responses and prevents the body from winding down, leading to blood pressure and heart rate spikes.
One small study of 19 patients with cardiac disorders found that watching a stressful five-minute clip caused their breathing patterns to quicken and blood pressure to increase.
‘If someone already has a weakened heart, or if they experience a much more extreme stress, the effect could be more stabilizing and dangerous,’ study author Dr Ben Hanson of University College London said at the time.
Recent research also suggests high-stress content can create disturbances in heart rhythm, resulting in arrythmias.
Blue light emanating from a phone screen has also been shown to suppress the secretion of melatonin, a sleep hormone.
‘Put the phone away and turn off the TV an hour before bed to avoid lingering stimulation from stressful content or the melatonin squandering effect of blue light,’ Kos said.
