What’s bad for your heart? Aside from a high-fat diet and smoking, here’s something that poses a serious danger.
According to new research from the University of Gothenburg, not getting enough sleep could harm the heart as much as being a regular smoker. That means a serious increase in heart disease and heart attack–something that increases sharply starting in your 50s.
A lack of sleep is commonly defined as getting fewer than 5 hours of sleep daily. 7 hours of sleep is considered ideal for both men and women.
In addition to these findings, not getting enough sleep also posed additional health risks. Men who got fewer than 5 hours of sleep daily at age 50, for example, were more likely to develop high blood pressure and diabetes later in life.
It also promotes weight gain as well; many men who didn’t get enough sleep became obese 10 to 20 years later.
So if you aren’t getting enough zzz’s, now’s the time to make it a habit.
To start, make sure to set up a strict sleep schedule and cut out caffeine, two common triggers of insomnia.
For your prime health daily!
