Eat Well, Sleep Well: The Foundation of Heart Health November 16, 2025 Eat Well, Sleep Well: The Foundation of Heart Health When it comes to looking after your heart, most people think of diet and exercise straight away. But there’s another pillar that quietly plays just as big of a role: sleep. The truth is, your eating habits and your sleep habits feed into each other every single day, creating a cycle that can either support your heart — or strain it. Understanding this relationship is the first step to making small changes that add up to a healthier life. Smart Eating Starts With Simple Choices A heart-healthy diet doesn’t need to be complicated. One of the most effective shifts you can make is controlling portion sizes.1 Many of us eat more than we realise, especially when restaurant servings or family portions creep larger over time. Using a smaller plate, choosing more vegetables and fruits, and reducing high-calorie or salty foods can have an immediate impact on both your waistline and your heart.1 It also helps to pay attention to serving sizes. A serving of pasta, for example, is only about the size of your fist. Meat portions should be roughly the size of a deck of cards.2 These aren’t rules to stress over — they’re gentle guides that help you understand how much your body needs. Fill Your Plate With Heart-Friendly Foods Vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds form the foundation of heart-healthy eating.2 They’re rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and naturally low in salt and unhealthy fats. Choosing wholegrain breads or oats over refined grains, swapping fatty cuts of meat for leaner options, and including fish high in omega-3s are all simple ways to support heart health.2 Healthy fats — like the ones found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts — play a helpful role too. They may assist in lowering total cholesterol when used in place of saturated fats.2 Meanwhile, limiting added sugar, alcohol, and high-salt foods helps keep blood pressure steady and reduces strain on your cardiovascular system.1 Why Sleep Matters Just as Much Sleep is deeply connected to heart health. Adults generally need seven to nine hours a night to support healthy blood pressure, metabolism, and hormone balance. Unfortunately, almost 60 percent of Australian adults report at least one ongoing sleep difficulty, and irregular sleep patterns can raise the risk of stroke, hypertension, heart failure, and metabolic disorders.3 Poor sleep can also influence how you eat. When you’re tired, your hunger hormones shift — ghrelin rises, making you crave more food, while leptin drops, making it harder to feel full.3 Studies show that people who are sleep-deprived tend to eat more overall and choose fewer whole grains and nutritious foods.3 Conditions like insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea can further disrupt sleep quality and increase your risk of heart disease.4 Sleep apnea is especially common and involves the airway becoming blocked during sleep.4 A common treatment is CPAP therapy, which uses a bedside machine that gently blows air through a mask to keep the airway open and reduce symptoms.4 Take Care of Your Heart From Both Sides Eating well and sleeping well work together to help your heart thrive. If you’re regularly feeling exhausted, snoring loudly, waking unrefreshed, or finding it hard to maintain healthy habits, it might be time to speak with your doctor. A simple conversation can help you uncover what’s going on and guide you toward the right support for better sleep, better nutrition, and a healthier heart. How Sove CPAP Clinic Can Help Founded in 2008, Sove CPAP Clinic has grown to become a leading provider of respiratory and sleep services and products in Australia, with over 60 clinics nationwide. Our comprehensive clinical team includes Respiratory & Sleep Specialists, Sleep Technologists, and CPAP Consultants, ensuring that you receive comprehensive and personalised care. All medical procedures, including sleep studies and lung function testing, are bulk billed to all Australians, with minimal wait time. If you would like to speak to a Respiratory & Sleep Physician, book a bulk-billed sleep study, or seek advice for your sleep apnea, you can reach us at 1300 76 29 39 or info@thecpapclinic.com.au. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. CPAP is used for Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment. When considering whether a sleep study or CPAP is right for you, speak to your doctor. Medicare criteria and T&Cs apply. References 1. Mayo Clinic. “8 Steps to a Heart-Healthy Diet.” Mayo Clinic, 28 Apr. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702 . 2. Heart Foundation. “Heart Healthy Eating Pattern | Heart Foundation.” Heartfoundation.org.au, 2018, https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-living/healthy-eating/heart-healthy-eating-pattern . 3. Chang, Victor. “How Sleep Can Impact Heart Health - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.” The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 28 Nov. 2024, https://www.victorchang.edu.au/blog/sleep . 4. Newsom, Rob. “Is Sleep Apnea Connected to Heart Disease?” Sleep Foundation, 5 Feb. 2021, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea-linked-heart-disease .
