We recently talked about the sleep weight loss connection.

And of course being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease.

But who would have thought that how we sleep is an independent risk factor for heart disease — maybe just as important as even smoking or high blood pressure!  

Well one 2008 study published in Journal of the American Medical Association found that for every 1 additional hour of sleep, there was a 33% reduction in the likelihood of calcium buildup in the arteries!  And since the arteries should be flexible and smooth, hardening of them because of calcium buildup puts you at a big risk for a cardiac event.

The authors acknowledged there are many factors going on that are hard to control in that particular study, but similar conclusions have come from other studies as well.

Another earlier study showed that individuals who slept 5 or less hours per night had a greater risk of suffering a heart attack than those who got more sleep.

So, sure, these studies mentioned above were both what are called "correlation" studies.  And if I remember anything from statistics, it is correlation doesn't mean causation — in other words, just because there is a correlation among different factors doesn't mean one definitely causes the other.

But you know what, do you really want to argue with studies that suggest getting more sleep is a healthy "prescription?"

Me neither.

Granted, it's been a bit difficult with our almost 8 month old daughter waking up periodically throughout the night, but we definitely embrace quality sleep.

Of course you can couple this data with that suggesting those who sleep less weigh more and it should be pretty clear that sleep is important.

Getting away from "disease" — getting sufficient sleep (7-8 hours) increases your ability to:

• Deal with stress
• Solve everyday problems
• Recall everyday items
• Decrease your likelihood of getting in a car accident

This simply means getting into bed a little earlier each night …

Sure, I get it — you're busy.  We're all busy.  But the more well rested you are, the more focused and attentive you can be do your routine tasks anyhow!

Posted February 9th, 2010 under Nutrition. Tags: how much sleep do i need, sleep apnea, sleep deprivation, sleep health
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