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Getting at least 7 hours of sleep is good for your heart: American Heart Association

Washington Edited By: C KrishnasaiUpdated: Jun 30, 2022, 04:20 PM IST
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The American Heart Association has recommended that devices like phones should be set to dim mode to ensure the brightness doesn't mess with the body clock and ensure notifications are turned off so they don't interrupt sleep

It has often been said that getting enough sleep can be good for your health. Now, it’s been officially backed by The American Heart Association (AHA) which has marked sleep as a key metric for a healthy heart and brain. In its updated list published on Wednesday in Circulation, AHA's peer-reviewed journal, sleep duration was added to its cardiovascular health checklist. It's a part of "Life's Essential 8," a questionnaire that measures eight key areas to determine a person's cardiovascular health. The cardiologists have stated that the ideal amount is between seven and nine hours each night. While children have been advised to get even more, with under-5s recommended between 10 and 16 hours, including naps.

People who don't get enough sleep are at higher risk of developing heart disease as well as high blood pressure and obesity, the AHA said.

The updated list officially replaced the association's "Life's Simple 7" questionnaire, which had been used since 2010.

The 2010 list included factors like a healthy diet, regular exercise and quitting smoking, 

Though the list has been refined over the years, Wednesday’s addition of sleep is the first time a new tip has been added.

Sleep duration made the list after researchers examined new scientific findings over the past decade that found sleep played an important role in heart health, according to Dr Eduardo Sanchez, the AHA's chief medical officer for prevention.

"Folks not getting enough sleep have a higher likelihood of things like obesity, hypertension and diabetes," Sanchez said, according to CNN.

The AHA has recommended that devices like phones are set to dim mode to ensure the brightness doesn't mess with the body clock and ensure notifications are turned off so they don't interrupt sleep.

(With inputs from agencies)