Now, however, as reported in its report published in the journal Circulation, the AHA believes that healthy sleep should also be taken into account. The group’s recommended target is seven to nine hours of sleep per day for adults and more for children (eight to 10 hours for 13 to 18-year-olds, nine to 12 hours for 6 to 12-year-olds, and 10 to 12-year-olds). Hours of sleep is .5 and 16 hours for younger children).
Sleep has long been considered important for good health, both physically and mentally. Sleep gives the body a needed break to heal and repair itself, preparing people to function normally when they are awake. But lack of sleep (or poor quality sleep) puts a person at higher risk for conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and more.
In addition to adding sleep, the AHA also turned to a few other factors on its list, which it dubbed the “Essential 8 of Life.” For example, the topic of smoking was expanded to include exposure to secondhand smoke and vapor, and cholesterol monitoring was changed to tracking non-HDL cholesterol rather than total cholesterol.
The AHA provides an online tool for people interested in checking their heart health and the risks they face, based on the organization’s new checklist.
This article is part of The Post’s “Big Numbers” series, which takes a brief look at the statistical aspect of health issues. Additional information and relevant research are available via hyperlinks.