{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"Study Links “Night Owl” Sleep Habits to Poorer Heart Health During American Heart Month","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":716,"description":"February is American Heart Month, and a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association is drawing renewed attention to how sleep habits — not just how much we sleep, but when and how consistently — can affect cardiovascular health.Researchers found that so-called “night owls,” people who naturally stay up late, tend to have poorer overall cardiovascular health compared to early risers. The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking irregular sleep schedules to increased heart risk.Dr. Lindsay Mitrani, a cardiologist with Optum Care Mount Medical, says sleep plays a central — and often overlooked — role in heart health.“Sleep is crucial for cardiovascular health,” Mitrani said. “There is a bidirectional relationship, meaning it goes both ways. In other words, sleep is really important for preventing key factors that are related to cardiac health, including elevated blood pressure, weight, and feeling well. And the other side of this, cardiovascular treatment can also affect sleep.”What counts as “good” sleep?According to Mitrani, adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night — but quantity alone isn’t enough.“Almost a third of adults are poor sleepers, meaning they're averaging less than seven hours, and less than half of adults report having a good night’s sleep,” she said. “That said, it's not just about quantity of sleep, it's also about quality.”Quality sleep, she explained, includes how long it takes to fall asleep, how often someone wakes during the night, and whether sleep is consistent from one night to the next.How lack of sleep affects the heartWhen sleep is short, irregular, or poor in quality, the cardiovascular system can suffer.“When someone's not sleeping, essentially the blood pressure rises,” Mitrani said. “Blood pressure is a critical risk factor for cardiac health.”Sleep deprivation also affects daily habits tied to heart health.“When you're tired, it's harder to make good dietary choices. You're less...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}