Go ahead, hit the snooze button: Your heart might thank you. In a five-year study, researchers found that more sleep means less plaque buildup in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. An extra hour of sleep per night translated to a 33 percent lower risk of artery calcification, according to the study of about 500 middle-aged men and women who had clear arteries at the outset. That’s equivalent to a drop of 16.5 points on the top (systolic) line of a blood pressure reading. Researchers aren’t sure why sleep helps and call for more study of its effect on heart health.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 24/31, 2008