Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Caffeine & Heart Health
A dose (or two) of caffeine plays a staring role in the morning routine of many adults, but is our morning cuppa having a negative impact on our heart?
In this week’s healthy tip, we look at caffeine specifically in relation to our cardiovascular health. Does drinking coffee raise our blood pressure? Are energy drinks safe? Read on to find out and pick up some tips on how we can make our caffeine habit heart healthier.
Is caffeine bad for our heart?
You’ll be pleased to know that for healthy individuals, moderate consumption of caffeine (4-5 cups a day) doesn’t have a negative impact on our heart. However, everybody responds to caffeine differently and if you experience any negative side effects such as heart palpitations, it is wise to limit your consumption.
Also, be mindful of drinking caffeine after mid-day as it can remain in your bloodstream for up to 10 hours after consumption and negatively impact your sleep – which could have a negative impact on your heart.
Caffeine & blood pressure
Consuming caffeine has been shown to cause our blood pressure to increase, however this is usually only temporary and in healthy individuals isn’t cause for concern.
It is important we know our blood pressure and put lifestyle changes in place to keep it as healthy as possible, but quitting the coffee isn’t needed for a healthy heart. Instead, focus on eating a healthy diet and taking part in regular exercise.
Energy drinks & dehydration
While consuming a few cups of tea or coffee isn’t cause for concern, consuming multiple energy drinks could be more problematic. This is due to the volume in which they are consumed and the sugar that usually accompanies them.
If you do drink energy drinks, don’t drink them as you would other soft drinks to avoid consuming high amounts of caffeine. It is also worth keeping mind that consuming too much caffeine can cause dehydration, so make sure you sip water or other healthy drinks between your caffeinated beverages.
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The theme for World Sleep Day yesterday (17th March) was ‘Sleep is Essential for Health’. Poor sleep can negatively impact our heart health, along with many other areas of our physical and mental wellbeing.
Prioritising your seven to nine hours shut eye every day is one of the best things you can do to support your health. During sleep, our body gets to work helping us to recover both mentally and physically, which helps us feel energised, alert, and ready for the day.
Sleep isn’t something to overlook, so here are some tips for helping to improve your sleep:
Limit caffeine
Who doesn’t love a morning cuppa? Whilst a small amount of caffeine early in the day is unlikely to impact our sleep, caffeine can stay in our blood stream for many hours after consumption.
This can negatively impact the quality of our sleep and ability to fall asleep. So, say no to caffeine after lunch!
Turn off the screens
Melatonin is our sleepy hormone, and we need to allow our body to produce lots of it to ensure a good night’s sleep. Bright lights in our environment can reduce the production of melatonin, specifically the blue light from computer screens, tablets, and mobile phones.
Try switching off screens an hour before sleep time and read a book or have a bath instead.
Spend time outdoors
Research shows that simply being inside during the day, rather than spending time outdoors, reduces our melatonin production at night by 50%!
Grab your trainers and hit the pavement for a walk or run outdoors for at least 20 minutes every day.
Create a routine
Humans are creatures of habit, and we thrive on routine. Creating a bedtime ritual can help signal to our bodies that it’s time for sleep.
Try to choose low stimulation activities like reading, listening to music, or even having a cup of (caffeine free!) tea such as camomile.
· Historic city centre hotel partners with sleep specialist Donna Fairley to create a recipe for the ideal winter’s night sleep as the UK prepares for clocks to change
· InterContinental Edinburgh The George has also worked with independent Scottish perfume house, Jorum Studio, to create a new bespoke scent – featuring Scottish botanicals of lavender and gorse – to help guests drift off
· Guests will also have access to in-room yoga sessions from Hot Yoga Edinburgh, to relax the mind and body
· The room add-on service is bookable from 30 October when clocks change to Greenwich Mean Time for winter
Travellers to Edinburgh will have even sweeter dreams from October at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, as the luxury hotel launches A Moment of Tranquillity aimed at helping guests to unwind and get a great night’s sleep in time for the season changing.
The historic city centre hotel has worked with a selection of local partners to develop the ultimate relaxation package, which will launch on 30th October to coincide with the clocks changing.
Partnering with behavioural sleep expert Donna Fairley, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for Insomnia from Sleep Consultancy Ltd in Edinburgh, the hotel has gathered expert tips on counteracting issues that the changing seasons can bring to slumber, to create the new room add-on package.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George has also worked with Scottish perfume house Jorum Studio to develop a signature scent, which will be spritzed during a luxury turndown service.
Jorum was established in 2010 by Euan McCall as one of Scotland’s first fragrance houses. In 2019, Euan launched Jorum Studio with his partner, Chloe Mullen, and the pair have been building a new, world-class perfume making industry in Scotland from their base in Edinburgh’s charming Stockbridge. Jorum crafts everything in-house, creating innovative and eclectic fragrances with the highest quality materials.
The new sleep-inducing room spray is named after the winter Celtic Goddess Cailleach, and encapsulates the soothing scents of chamomile, jasmine, ylang ylang, lavender and raspberry. The luxurious soft musk-based fragrance also features gorse, in a nod to the Scottish landscape that has inspired much of the interiors of the luxury property.
Meanwhile, to help guest clear their minds before sleep, yoga studio, Hot Yoga Edinburgh, has provided a bespoke aromatherapy yoga class and morning wake-up routine, available for guests to view in room.
Instructor Allison Harrison will guide guests through a restorative series of gentle seated and standing positions to help clear the mind, relax the body and reduce stress levels.
Michael Martin, General Manager at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, comments: “We know that whether you are travelling for work or play, sleeping well can help you to have a far more successful and enjoyable trip.
“Our specially curated Moment of Tranquillity package will help guests relax and enable them to have the dream stay in any of our splendid rooms.
“Everyone wants to get the most from exploring beautiful, historic city destinations like Edinburgh and our new offering will allow guests to wake up refreshed after a peaceful night sleep, ready for the day ahead.”
Behavioural sleep specialist, Donna Fairley, comments: “Autumn is a wonderful time for long nights, curling up with cosy blankets and relaxing by the fire. Getting a good night’s sleep in winter should seem like no problem.
“However, for some people, winter can wreak havoc on sleep quality and quantity, particularly when we set our clocks back one hour for daylight saving time. If you’re busy and travelling, perhaps even more so.
“During the first few days after setting the clocks back, you will also notice that it’s bright outside in the mornings and becomes dark at an earlier time each evening. If you’re one of those people who finds that these colder, shorter months mean more tossing and turning at night it may be because fewer hours of daylight in the winter can have a big impact on your sleep-wake cycle.
“There is no single fix for everyone but there are great sleep hygiene tips available. These scientifically validated tips have been included in ‘A Moment of Tranquillity’ to help visitors get the best night’s sleep possible in the luxury surroundings of InterContinental Edinburgh The George.”
Donna’s top tips and strategies for practicing good sleep hygiene:
1. Establish a consistent routine, try and keep a regular bed and wake time, including at the weekend, as this can help prepare you for time changes.
2. Get sunlight exposure as soon as you get up. Get outdoors in the morning, soon after the sun comes up. If that’s not possible, try to at least sit by a window during the first few hours of daylight.
3. Caffeine should be consumed in the morning as it can enhance performance. Caffeine consumed within six hours of bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Alcohol has a sedative effect and will make you fall asleep quickly, but it has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration.
4. In the evening, dim lighting is important. The bedroom should be as dark as possible with black-out blinds and lined curtains. When you are ready to sleep, the room should be so dark you cannot see your hand.
5. The bedroom should not be too hot; the ideal temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. A drop in room temperature should start around two hours before you go to sleep, coinciding with the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
6. If you tend to be a worrier, factor constructive ‘worry time’ into the early evening but not too close to bedtime. Try to think about what went well that day. Have a to-do list for outstanding tasks for the following day, so that when you waken during the night, you can reassure yourself that everything is in hand. Let it go!
7. Relaxing scents and fragrances can help you unwind.
8. Have a hot bath or shower two hours before bed, using scented oils to help you unwind. This will not only help you to relax but will initially raise your body temperature which will then fall and thereby optimise the natural effects of melatonin.
9. Practice stretching before bed. Yoga has been proven to initiate and allow for a deeper, more relaxing sleep.
10.With its soothing and mildly sedative effect, chamomile tea prior to bedtime can help with sleep.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George is perfectly nestled in Edinburgh’s old town. Each of its rooms and suites sit above the city bustle with a colour palette matching the Scottish landscape of Highland glens to forest ferns and mountain heathers.
Luxury interiors with homely design touches including throws, bathrobes and black-out curtains, make it the ideal spot for a restful night this winter.
A Moment of Tranquillity is a pre-bookable luxury turndown service, using the bespoke Jorum scents and includes access to Hot Yoga Edinburgh’s evening and morning classes, Byredo bath products, and warm chamomile tea served just before bedtime to help guests fully relax.
Building on the advice from sleep expert, Donna, the hotel’s housekeeping team will pre-set the room temperature to 18 degrees for guest arrival, to help them unwind from the moment the step inside the hotel. Guests can also dd a gentle morning wake-up call.
Guests booking Moment of Tranquillity are being offered an exclusive 20% discount at Jorum Studio, to explore the perfumery during their stay, and find their ideal winter scent.
A Double Classic Room starts from £170. To arrange Moment of Tranquillity on a visit to InterContinental Edinburgh The George, email edinburghthegeorge@ihg.com.
