New research shows exactly how important sleep is to living a healthy lifestyle. A recent study has found that a good night’s sleep can increase the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
Results of a large Dutch population study concluded that sleep increases the ability of lifestyle habits such as dieting, exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and not smoking–can have on the body to protect it against cardiovascular disease.
Performing these habits regularly was associated with a 57% lower risk of non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and a 67% lower chance of fatal events. However, those who added in a good night’s rest (at least 7 hours of sleep a night) were given a 65% lower risk of both non-fatal and fatal CVD, and 83% lower risk of deadly cardiovascular events.
Even without all the healthy lifestyle factors, just sleeping well alone lowered the risk of CVD by 22%, and fatal cardiovascular events were lowered by 43%. Good sleep has also been linked to improvements to better memory, lower levels of inflammation, and healthy weight. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is between 7- 9 hours every night.
Comments are closed.