Modern medicine clearly demonstrates that sleep deprivation does not simply end with tiredness, but profoundly impacts our heart health. When we do not get enough sleep, the very first thing disrupted is the balance of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is an essential system that regulates our overall vital functions, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion, and sleep, independent of conscious control.
The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve. When sleep is lacking, the sympathetic nerve becomes excessively activated. The sympathetic nerve is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, which tenses the body and prepares it for stress. When the sympathetic nerve dominates in this way, heart rate speeds up, blood pressure rises, and the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol is stimulated. When cortisol levels remain chronically elevated, insulin resistance increases, making blood glucose regulation difficult, which in turn leads to an energy metabolism imbalance and further deepens chronic fatigue.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation places a direct burden on the heart itself. During sleep at night, our heart takes time to recover from daytime activity. When this window is insufficient, the myocardium becomes overloaded. Long-term sleep deprivation impairs the endothelial function of coronary vessels and elevates internal inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease like arteriosclerosis. Numerous studies also show that it increases the risk of arrhythmia, particularly atrial fibrillation.
Ultimately, the expression in the Donguibogam that the heart sickens and the pulse loses its strength can be understood in modern medicine as autonomic nervous system imbalance caused by sleep deprivation, along with the structural and functional changes in the cardiovascular system brought on by it. The impact of sleep on our body and mind is far broader and deeper than one might think. Simply getting enough sleep will help our body strive to heal itself and regain its balance.
