Sleeping less than five hours a night has been linked to a 74% jump in risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared with seven to eight hours of sleep, found scientists at the Karolinska Institute in a recent study.
More than 200m people worldwide have PAD, which causes the arteries in the legs to clog, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.
“Our study suggests that sleeping for seven to eight hours a night is a good habit for lowering the risk of PAD,” said study author Dr Shuai Yuan.
“Insufficient night-time sleep and daytime napping have previously been associated with a raised risk of coronary artery disease which, like PAD, is caused by clogged arteries….more