Baby bear had the right idea
Remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears? Daddy Bear's items were considered "too big" and Mama Bear's things were "too small." Baby Bear's were always "just right."
Consider getting your sleep "just right" to be no folk tale. Rather, it could be the wisest action you'll ever take if you want to protect your heart health. According to an analysis that spanned 17 years and included 10,000 government workers, there's double the chance you'll die of heart disease if you don't get enough sleep.
In the study, sleep patterns were studied for participants between the ages of 35 and 55 at two different time periods in their lives, and their mortality rates were tracked for 10 years beyond that.
Those who began to sleep less in the later time period (measured in the 1990s) than in the earlier measured time frame (in the 1980s) had double the risk of cardiovascular disease. These folks typically cut their sleep from a healthy seven hours down to less than five, and their risk of dying increased by 1.7-fold.
If you think sleeping more is the answer, there was evidence of too much of a good thing. Sleeping too much—over nine hours—was linked to a higher rate of mortality.
Follow Baby Bear's lead, and get it just right. Good and adequate sleep is one of the healthiest habits you can form. Aim for a healthy seven to eight hours.
