not just to lose fat and improve memory sleep is critical to your heart health, here's how

Getting adequate sleep each night is incredibly important for your health. In fact, a good night’s sleep is just as important as exercising and eating healthy. A lack of sleep not only affects your learning and memory or energy levels, but it also plays a vital role in maintaining your heart health. A study by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden showed that middle-aged men who get less than five hours sleep per night have twice the risk of developing a major cardiovascular event, including a heart attack, during the following two decades. Poor sleep can also sabotage your weight loss efforts, making you pile on the pounds.

This indicates that sleep isn’t just a luxury. Getting enough sleep is critical to health, it helps your body repair itself while also assisting you to function normally during the day. Lack of sleep is linked to various serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. Learn how sleep is linked to your heart health.

How sleep affects your heart health
Previous studies have shown that insufficient sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study done by the team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) claimed to have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which sleep protects against the buildup of arterial plaques. The study, published in the journal Nature, showed a direct demonstration of the molecular connections linking blood and cardiovascular risk factors to sleep health, Xinhua reported.


“We have discovered that sleep helps to regulate the production in the bone marrow of inflammatory cells and the health of blood vessels and that, conversely, sleep disruption breaks down control of inflammatory cell production, leading to more inflammation and more heart disease,” said co-author Filip Swirsk.

“We also have identified how a hormone in the brain known to control wakefulness controls processes in the bone marrow and protects against cardiovascular disease,” Swirsk added.

The researchers noted that targeting the newly discovered mechanism could one day lead to new treatments for heart disease and sleep disorders.


How much sleep do you need?
Most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, yet sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person. For instance, children and teens need even more sleep.