A question that is frequently asked, is how much sleep should we get at night. The answer, of course, is that it depends on the individual and many related factors. Children generally need more sleep than older adults, but not always. One’s health and their overall physical condition also factor in here. Each individual will eventually find what works best for them and they’ll try to formulate a sleep routine along those lines.
But regardless of how much sleep you are getting, an ideal amount of it may help keep harmful plaques from forming in your coronary arteries. That translates into less risk of heart disease and heart attacks, according to a recent study. In that five-year study of middle-aged adults, the more sleep people got, the lower their rate of arterial calcium deposits. This is good news, because calcium deposits that form in the arteries help create the plaques that can clog the arteries and result in strokes or heart attacks.
Besides being bad for your heart, sleep deprivation can hurt your health in a number of other ways. It can make you drowsy, grumpy, and more prone to accidents, and it may even encourage weight gain. Sleep is the time during which the body heals itself from the day’s activities. It regenerates cells that allow the body to go about its normal functions. Many people, especially those who work at home or are retired, find napping during the day or sleeping in late in the morning helpful in getting their full complement of rest. Whatever works for you, do it, and if sleep deprivation or some other disorder is affecting your sleep pattern, check with your doctor.
