Overview

• The American Heart Association now lists sleep among eight key pillars of cardiovascular health alongside diet, activity and risk-factor control.
• Harvard Health reports that sleeping more than nine hours is associated with poorer memory, attention and processing speed independent of mood symptoms or antidepressant use.
• Analysis of 1,853 adults found both short sleep under six hours and long sleep over nine hours correlated with lower cognitive test scores, with seven to eight hours performing best.
• Harvard’s summary notes links between excessive sleep and broader health risks that include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mood disturbances.
• Mayo Clinic guidance stresses that sleep quality depends on environment, highlighting a cool, dark, quiet bedroom and adequate mattress, as mattress maker Rosen promotes products it claims support restorative rest.