Lack of Sleep Can Lead to Poor Heart Health

All of us "Morning Radio" personalities are sleep deprived.  Having to get up so early in the morning, 3:30 to 4 am every morning, Monday through Friday, makes it very difficult to really get the 'so called' required amount of sleep you're supposed to need.  I mean, hey, who wants to go to bed at 7 or 8 at night?  Not I.

It is possible I might have to be more serious about my sleep since a new study just came out that shows that the amount of sleep one gets can have a big effect  on your heart health.

In findings presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago, research showed sleeping less than six hours a night — something six percent of Americans say is the norm for them — can make people twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack, and one-and-a-half times more likely to have congestive heart failure.

Experts say a lack of sleep releases high levels of stress hormones that can raise blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar.

But, those who sleep too much are at risk, too.  If you're getting more than eight hours of shuteye every night, you are more likely to have chest pain and coronary artery disease.  Experts aren't quite sure why, but excess sleep could mean less exercise, thus, poor health.

So, six to eight hours of sleep a night looks to be the best for most of us.

Ouch, dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.  I'm going to take a nap.