Post #59831

A Consistent Sleep Schedule Could Save Your Heart We often hear that getting seven to nine hours of sleep is good for your health. But a new study has found that going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day could be just as important as how long you sleep. The study looked at sleep patterns in more than 72,000 adults over eight years. It found that people who went to bed and woke up at different times each day had a 26% higher risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. This was true even when they got the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep. Even after considering other health factors like age, exercise, smoking, alcohol use and diet, the link between irregular sleep and heart problems stayed strong. Researchers used a score called the Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) to measure sleep consistency. The SRI ranges from 0 (very irregular sleep) to 100 (very regular sleep). Participants were put into three groups: regular sleepers, with an SRI above 87.3; moderately irregular sleepers, with an SRI between 71.6 and 87.3; and irregular sleepers, with an SRI below 71.6. People with higher SRI scores had a much lower risk of heart disease. Even a moderate score of 77.1 was linked to a 15% drop in heart risk. Changing your sleeping and waking times can confuse your body's internal clock. And this may affect how your body handles things like blood sugar, stress, and even how your heart works. This is why keeping a consistent sleep schedule matters. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, experts say. Getting enough sleep is important, but keeping your sleep schedule consistent could make a big difference for your heart! #Reading