Doctor Nguyen Thi Hai, a specialist in cardiology at Tam Anh Cau Giay General Clinic, stated that lifestyle habits significantly impact blood pressure, heart rate, and the cardiovascular system's recovery process. Below are 5 evening habits that can subtly harm heart health.

Prolonged late nights

Nighttime is when blood pressure and heart rate naturally decrease, allowing the heart and blood vessels to rest. Regularly staying up late or sleeping less than 6 hours per night keeps the body in a prolonged state of stress, increasing the secretion of cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones make blood pressure difficult to control, adding strain to the cardiovascular system.

Frequently eating dinner late or having a late-night snack

Due to busy work schedules, many people eat dinner late or habitually snack before bed. Consuming food at this time forces the body to continue digesting.

Eating dinner late can also lead to weight gain, accumulation of visceral fat, and metabolic disorders – factors closely linked to cardiovascular disease. Instant noodles, fried foods, grilled items, or fast food often contain high levels of salt and saturated fat, which can easily elevate blood pressure.

Eating dinner late increases the risk of visceral fat accumulation. Photo illustration: Thanh Ba

Eating dinner late increases the risk of visceral fat accumulation. Photo illustration: Thanh Ba

Using phones or computers close to bedtime

Many people end their day by browsing social media, watching videos, or reading news on their phones for hours before sleeping. Blue light from screens reduces the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, making it difficult for the body to enter deep sleep. Continuous exposure to emotionally stimulating information or work pressure keeps the nervous system in an alert state, making it difficult for heart rate and blood pressure to drop to their physiological resting levels.

Drinking coffee late in the day

A cup of coffee in the late afternoon or evening helps people stay awake to finish work, but it can disrupt sleep. Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, causing the heart to beat faster and temporarily raising blood pressure in some individuals.

The effects of caffeine can last for many hours after consumption, impacting sleep quality even if the drinker does not clearly notice it. Prolonged interrupted sleep is a factor that increases the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Stress

A busy work life means many people continue to answer emails, process reports, or think about work right before bed. Prolonged stress causes the body to continuously produce stress hormones, leading to increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, and promoting chronic inflammation in the body. In the long term, this can contribute to vascular damage, accelerate atherosclerosis, and increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

Doctor Hai recommends that everyone should dedicate at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime to relaxing activities such as reading, listening to soft music, meditating, or conversing with family.

Thanh Ba