It’s Time To Set A Sleep Schedule … Your Heart Will Thank You

Chances are, you’ve probably heard that humans tend to perform at their best when they get somewhere between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Different bodies have different needs, but that general estimate applies to most people.

But there’s another crucial aspect to your sleep routine that too many folks miss.

Consistency is key

One major study recently revealed an apparent connection between cardiovascular health and a person’s sleep schedule. After following 70,000 participants over eight years, researchers determined that those who reported irregular or moderately irregular sleep patterns were 26% more likely to experience heart problems.

The good news is that it’s OK to mess up from time to time. Simply making an effort to go to sleep at about the same time each night and wake up at a consistent hour each morning — even on days off — can help improve your heart’s health.

Lead researcher Jean-Philippe Chaput explained: “No one is perfect across a whole year, and if you don’t have a regular sleep pattern for one or two days a week, it’s not going to kill you. But if you repeatedly have irregular sleep, five or six days a week, then it becomes chronic, and that is a problem.”

A few simple steps

It doesn’t take a lot of planning and preparation to put your sleep schedule into action. Just choose a time to go to sleep and a time to wake up, then make an effort not to stray beyond an hour in either direction.

And if you do get behind on your sleep or get off track, don’t stress. Just regroup and resume your schedule. For those times you do want to get a little extra rest, experts recommend going to bed earlier at night rather than sleeping later in the morning.

Chris Agee December 2nd, 2024

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