According to a new study by the researchers at the University of Warwick Medical School, UK, people who are unable to get a sleep of at least six hours a day are at an increased risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Specifically, the researchers found that those who slept for less than six hours a day had a nearly 50 percent more risk of suffering a heart attack and 15 percent more at risk of a heart stroke.

The research, led by Professor Francesco Cappuccio, chiefly based its findings on 15 earlier studies conducted in eight countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Sweden, and Japan. The new study largely analyzed the sleeping habits of the 475,000 participants of these studies.

The researchers, who recommended at least 6-7 hours of sleep for good health, said that lack of sufficient sleep disturbs the balance of two main appetite-controlling hormones – namely, ghrelin and leptin. As such, poor sleepers are likely to be obese as they have a tendency to eat more, and are hence at greater risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Noting that the study chiefly underscores that going to bed late and getting up early can lead to serious illnesses later in life, Prof Cappuccio said: “The trend for late nights and early mornings is actually a ticking time bomb for our health so you need to act now to reduce your risk of developing these life-threatening conditions.”