Scientists discover the ideal sleep duration

Sci-tech

21:51 15.01.2019(updated 21:53 15.01.2019) Short URL

Researchers have discovered that different sleep lengths can affect the risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. They conducted experiments to find out how many hours they needed to sleep better to reduce the harmful effects on health.

Scientists have found that the duration of sleep affects human health and the immune system. Specialists from the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) have discovered that low sleep can increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, Sputnik told the CNIC Director General and Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at the New York Medical Center. Mount Sinai, Professor Valentin Fuster.

In total, 3,794 people participated in the study, two thirds of whom were men. An important condition was that before the experiment they had no heart problems and blood circulation. According to Professor Fuster, it is important to note that sleep disorders can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease development.

"Sleep has never been studied as we do. We've found that, in addition to sleep duration (more than six hours), another factor that is no less important is its quality," said Professor.

Within one week, the experiment participants were observed during sleep using a measuring instrument to determine the duration and quality of sleep, as well as the time a person spins, wakes up and sleeps deep. The observed persons were then divided into four groups. Those who slept less than six hours, six to seven hours, seven to eight hours and more than eight hours. Thus, scientists measure the activity of their cardiovascular system in groups.

It was found that the probability of developing atherosclerosis was 27% higher for those who lay less than six hours than those who slept between seven and eight hours. In addition, people who, according to the analysis, had poor sleep quality, increased the risk of developing this disease by 34%.

According to scientists, the number of participants over eight hours is too small to draw conclusions. However, they believe that too much sleep can be a negative factor in the development of atherosclerosis, especially in women.