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Hello, and welcome back to Thrive After a Heart Attack.
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I'm your host, Luiza Holtzberg, a heart health coach.
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If you're listening today, first I'm really glad you're here.
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Whether your heart attack happened a few weeks ago, a few months ago, or several years ago, recovery doesn't end when you leave the hospital.
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Recovery happens one small choice at a time, and sometimes the most important healing happens while you're asleep.
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If you're a caregiver listening today, thank you for being here as well.
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You play such an important role in helping someone you love recover, and I hope today's episode helps you support not only their sleep, but your own as well.
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Today we're talking about something that many people overlook because it doesn't feel very exciting.
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Sleep.
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It might not seem as important as medications, nutrition, or exercise, but restorative sleep is one of the greatest gifts you can give your healing heart.
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And before we go any further, I just need to say that the information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
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One of the first things many people tell me after a heart attack is I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep, or I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm worried something might happen during the night.
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If that's you, I want you to know that you're not alone.
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A heart attack is not only a physical event, it's an emotional event, a nervous system event, and your body has been through trauma.
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Your mind is trying to protect you and your nervous system may still be on high alert.
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So if sleep has been difficult, it doesn't mean you're doing something wrong.
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It means your body needs support.
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And that's exactly what we're going to talk about today.
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When we sleep well, our bodies do some of their most important repair work.
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Deep sleep is when the body restores itself, it's when tissues recover, hormones rebalance, your brain processes the events of the day, and your immune system does its work.
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Sleep also affects your mood, your memory, your concentration, and even your appetite.
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Poor sleep can make you feel hungrier, reduce the number of calories your body burns, and make it much harder to make healthy choices during the day.
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After a heart attack, restorative sleep becomes even more valuable.
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While you sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure naturally decrease, giving your cardiovascular system an opportunity to work a little less and recover.
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Think of it as giving your heart a well-deserved overnight break.
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Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, although your own needs may vary.
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If you're recovering from a heart attack or have ongoing sleep problems, talk with your cardiologist or healthcare team about what is right for you.
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The good news is that you don't have to completely change your life tonight.
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Remember, here on this podcast we're building recovery one small step at a time.
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Let's look at three habits that can make a big difference.
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Habit one, keeping the same sleep schedule.
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Our brains love rhythm.
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Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day helps regulate your internal body clock.
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Over time, your brain begins to expect sleep at the same time each evening, making it easier to fall asleep and improving the quality of your rest.
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You don't have to be perfect.
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Just aim for consistency more than perfection.
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Habit two create a sleep sanctuary.
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Your bedroom should tell your brain it's safe to rest now.
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You could keep the room cool, dark and quiet.
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Try to remove as many distractions as possible.
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If outside noise keeps you awake, you could try white noise or maybe even a fan.
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If light comes through the window, try some blackout curtains or even a comfortable mask could help.
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Little environmental changes and tweaks can make a surprisingly big difference.
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Habit three Create a digital sunset.
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I love sunset, so let's try a digital sunset.
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About thirty minutes before bedtime, begin telling your brain that the day is ending.
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So instead of scrolling through your phone, try, turn off the television, put away the laptop, try reading a book, maybe listen to some calming music or write in a journal, practice some gentle stretching, or simply sit quietly for a few minutes.
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These small signals help your brain transition from go mode into rest mode.
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Now I'd like to introduce something that has become one of my favorite evening practices.
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If you've listened to episode one, you know that I believe healing begins when we help
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the body feel safe again.
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Before bed tonight, I'd like you to try one minute of heart focused breathing.
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Focus your attention in the area of the heart.
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Imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart or chest area.
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Breathing a little slower and deeper than usual.
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Find an easy rhythm that's comfortable.
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You're not trying to force yourself to relax.
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You're just simply giving your nervous system permission to settle.
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One minute is enough to begin.
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Let's check in with the mind.
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Many heart attack survivors tell themselves If I fall asleep, what if something happens?
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Certainly that's a frightening thought, and it's understandable.
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But here's something worth remembering.
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Just because your mind has a fearful thought doesn't mean it's telling you the truth.
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Sometimes your brain is simply trying to keep you safe by imagining every possible danger.
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When you notice those thoughts tonight, gently say to yourself Thank you, my dear mind, I know you're trying to protect me.
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I see you, I hear you.
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Then bring your attention back to your breathing.
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Little by little you're teaching your brain that bedtime is a place of safety, not danger.
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This podcast isn't about making huge changes overnight.
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It's about building habits at last.
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So here's today's tiny habit.
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After I brush my teeth, I will practice one minute of hard focused breathing before getting into bed.
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That's it.
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One minute.
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Why?
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Because consistency beats intensity.
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Small actions repeated every day become the foundation of lasting change.
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As James Clear writes in his book Atomic Habits, every small habit is a vote for the kind of person you're becoming.
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Tonight, you're casting a vote for becoming someone who protects their heart through rest.
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And don't forget to celebrate.
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Even a quiet smile or a simple Hi Five, I did it reinforces the behavior and helps your brain want to repeat it tomorrow.
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Now let's shift to this week's Thrive Practice.
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For your heart, practice one minute of heart focused breathing before bed each night.
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For your mind, when a fearful thought about sleep appears, acknowledge it with kindness and return your attention to your breathing.
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For your habit, practice your one minute of heart focused breathing.
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For your health, choose one sleep habit to focus on this week.
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Could it be keeping a consistent bedtime or creating a cooler, darker room?
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Or maybe try a thirty minute digital sunset before bed.
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Just choose one.
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Remember, lasting change begins with small, repeatable actions.
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Before we say goodbye, I'd love to hear from you.
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One of the reasons I started this podcast is because I don't want these episodes to feel like one way conversations.
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I want us to build a community where heart attack survivors and caregivers learn from one another.
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So this week I'd like to invite you to share your Thrive Takeaway with me.
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Send me an email at Louisa at WingspanWellbeing dot com with the subject line My Thrive Takeaway Rest and Recovery.
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A possible reflection question could be What is one small sleep habit you will try this week?
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Your email can be one sentence or several paragraphs.
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I personally read every message because your stories and your questions help shape future episodes.
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If you're comfortable, you might even hear your question or your Thrive takeaway featured anonymously in a future episode so we can continue learning from one another.
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In fact, you may inspire a topic that helps someone else who was walking a similar path.
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I'd truly love to hear from you.
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I would love to know which one you chose.
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Thank you so much for spending this time with me today.
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If you have a loved one who is recovering from a heart attack or you're a caregiver yourself, I hope you'll share this episode with them.
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Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is helping them create an environment where healing can happen.
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Next week, we're going to explore something that affects every heart attack survivor at some point in recovery.
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Fear.
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Specifically, why your brain keeps telling you that you're not safe even when your body's healing, and what you can begin doing about it.
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Until then, be gentle with yourself.
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One calm breath, one small habit, one good night's sleep, one step at a time.
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Because every small step you take is helping you thrive after a heart attack.
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See you next week.