One of the strongest areas of sleep research concerns cardiovascular health.
During healthy sleep, blood pressure naturally falls, giving the heart and blood vessels an opportunity to recover. When sleep is consistently disrupted or insufficient, this recovery process may be impaired.
Research shows that people who regularly sleep less than six to seven hours per night have a higher risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease overall
Sleep influences many of the same health factors affected by nutrition and physical activity, making it a critical pillar of cardiovascular health.