There is a lot of debate on how much you should sleep. Over the years, there were many methods that people claimed worked the best. However, new research claims that seven to eight hours of sleep might be optimal for your heart.
New research found that the amount of sleep you get each night affects the future of your cardiovascular health. People who slept for seven to eight hours each night had lower chances of developing heart disease than those who slept for longer or shorter periods.
A study found that people who got less than six hours of sleep per night or over eight hours had higher chances of plaque build-up in their arteries. Those who slept for less than six hours’ per night had a 54% increase compared to those who slept for seven to eight hours, while people who slept for over eight hours had an increase of 39%.
This study proves that sleeping for too long can be harmful to your health as well. Therefore, it’s essential to adjust your sleeping habits as you have power over them, unlike other factors like genetics
Researchers tested the sleeping habits of almost two thousand people to conduct the research. The participants were from Greece, and they were asked to fill in a survey designed by a cardiovascular specialist. Researchers then divided people into groups based on how much sleep they were getting. Participants represented an excellent sample of the population as they included both perfectly healthy and people with different health issues. All participants were 40 and 98.
Each participant was asked to undergo an ultrasound to collect data about the thickness of their arterial wall.
Researchers found a link between the sleep patterns of participants and the thickness and build-up of their arterial walls. Scientists don’t fully understand yet what the connection between sleep and cardiovascular health is. However, based on the results of the survey, we should all work towards achieving well-balanced sleeping patterns.
Since sleep can affect not just our cardiovascular health, but our health overall, we should strive to sleep for seven to eight hours every night. Since sleep is one factor we can actually change, it is imperative to do our best to maintain our health.
