Doctors have long suspected a link between unhealthy sleep behaviors and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Researchers created a “Healthy Sleep Score” that combines five factors: Being an early riser rather than a “night owl,” sleeping seven to eight hours most nights, never or rarely having trouble falling asleep or waking up at night, not snoring, and not napping during the day. No snoring, no napping during the day. They scored more than 385,000 people without cardiovascular disease from the U.K., followed for an average of 8.5 years, and the researchers looked at how their sleep scores affected their chances of having a heart attack or stroke. Comparing people with all the healthy sleep factors (scores of 5) to those with the lowest scores (0-1), those with the highest scores were 35% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those with the lowest scores. The researchers who conducted the study were from Tulane University in the United States and the Peking University Health Center in China. It was published in the peer-reviewed EuropeanHeartJournal in an open access format. Conclusion The study confirms that a good night’s sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle, and that others, including plenty of exercise and a balanced diet, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study has some limitations: Observational studies cannot prove causality because they may be influenced by factors that cannot be measured. People reported how they slept, which may not be entirely accurate. Healthy sleep scores may not cover all important sleep indicators. In conclusion, a good night’s sleep is part of an overall healthy lifestyle and may reduce the chances of developing cardiovascular disease.