More Sleep means Better Health

By Sally Finder-Koziol

Spend a little more time counting sheep, and you can spend a little less time worrying about your health. That’s the word from Columbia University researchers who have discovered a link between lack of sleep and high blood pressure. The study found that 24 percent of people ages 32–59 who slept for five or fewer hours a night developed hypertension, versus 12 percent of those who got seven or eight hours of sleep.

“Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day,” says James E. Gangwisch, Ph.D., lead author of the study. “However, people who sleep for only short durations raise their average 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate. This may set up the cardiovascular system to operate at an elevated pressure.”

Chronic lack of sleep also has been tied to an increased risk for developing obesity, diabetes, and infections. Yet an estimated 70 million adult Americans have some type of sleep problem.

Check out the latest info from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “Your Guide to Healthy Sleep” describes how and why we sleep and offers tips for getting your required z’s. Download the 60-page document for free here or order a printed copy for $3.50 by calling the NHLBI at 301/592-8573.

Source: Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association