American Heart⁢ Association: Healthy Sleep Vital for Cardiometabolic Health

Updated June ⁣02, 2025
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Getting enough sleep is about ‍more ⁢then ⁤just the number of hours, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). The statement,published in Circulation: Cardiovascular ⁣Quality⁣ and Outcomes,highlights the importance of multidimensional sleep health for reducing⁢ cardiometabolic risk factors.

The AHA emphasizes⁣ that healthy ⁢sleep includes factors such as ⁢sleep duration, continuity, timing, satisfaction, regularity and daytime ‍functioning. Addressing these different dimensions of sleep may help ⁣to reduce cardiometabolic health‍ and related risk factors.

Marie-Pierre St-onge, chair of the writing group and professor⁢ of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, saeid most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. She added that poor sleep raises the risk of cardiovascular disease,⁤ cognitive decline, depression, obesity, high‍ blood pressure, and elevated blood ⁣sugar‍ and cholesterol.

The statement reviews evidence linking sleep to body fat, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood ⁣pressure, noting that healthy sleep positively impacts both physical and mental well-being. Less-studied ‍components ⁤of sleep health also contribute to overall health.

Key⁢ components of Sleep health

• Sleep Duration: Sleeping less than seven hours a night increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and cardiometabolic syndrome. Sleeping more than nine hours also poses risks.
• Sleep Continuity: Disturbed ‍sleep continuity is linked to a higher risk of heart attack and high blood pressure.
• Sleep Timing: Bedtimes of midnight ‍or later are associated with increased risk of ‍obesity and insulin resistance.
• Sleep⁤ Satisfaction: Lower sleep satisfaction correlates with higher blood pressure and⁢ coronary heart⁤ disease.
• Sleep Regularity: Irregular sleep patterns are associated‍ with a higher risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
• Daytime Functioning: Excessive daytime sleepiness is ⁣linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The statement also addresses differences in sleep health ‍among people affected by adverse social drivers. lower socioeconomic status ⁤is consistently ⁤associated with suboptimal sleep. Social and environmental factors, such as pollution and safety, also play a role.

Compared to non-Hispanic white people, underrepresented⁤ racial and ethnic groups sleep less and experience worse‍ sleep continuity and satisfaction. Black adults have the poorest sleep health overall.

⁣ ⁣ “It’s critically⁢ important to know that every individual has different sleep experiences, and these differences may contribute‍ to other health inequities,” St-Onge⁤ said.”Including different components of sleep in discussions with patients provides essential⁣ details that can⁢ help health care professionals improve ⁢care.”
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St-Onge advises individuals⁤ to discuss new sleep difficulties or excessive daytime sleepiness with their doctors for evaluation ‍and potential treatment.

What’s next

The AHA calls for more ⁤research into the ⁤various dimensions of sleep health to help clinicians support patients in promoting healthy sleep.Further studies should include diverse populations and collaborative efforts across medical specialties to better‍ understand the⁤ impact of sleep on physical and mental well-being.