An Excellent Opportunity to Reset Your Sleep

Sleep is one of the most powerful levers you control for your heart, brain, metabolism, and long‑term vitality. Naturally it’s a major focus for us at Mission Metabolic Health. With the holidays behind us and long winter nights ahead, this is an ideal moment to reset your sleep and invest directly in your future health.​

How Much Sleep, and Why It Matters

Adults who consistently get around 7–8 hours of sleep live longer and have lower rates of cardiovascular events than those who routinely sleep much less or much more. Large population studies show a clear U‑shaped curve: both short (<6–7 hours) and long (>8–9 hours) sleep are linked with higher all‑cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with about 7 hours.​

Regular timing is just as important as total hours. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day stabilizes your circadian rhythm, which supports healthier blood pressure, better glucose control, steadier energy, and lower inflammation.​

Protecting Your Heart, Reducing Cancer and Dementia Risk

Sleep is now recognized as a core component of cardiovascular health, sitting alongside nutrition and exercise. People with chronically short sleep have higher rates of coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death, and genetic studies suggest this relationship is likely causal rather than just an association.​

Sleep duration also influences cancer and dementia risk. Cohort studies show that adults sleeping under about 6 hours have higher incidence of several cancers and that both short and very long sleep in midlife and older age are linked with increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.​

How Sleep Shapes Diet, Exercise, and Health span

When sleep suffers, nutrition and movement almost always follow. Even mild sleep restriction increases cravings for ultra‑processed, high‑calorie foods, disrupts appetite hormones, and pushes calorie intake up in ways that quietly undermine metabolic health and weight management.​

Poor sleep also drains motivation and recovery capacity, making workouts feel harder and slowing strength and endurance gains. In contrast, deep, regular sleep strengthens the immune system, protects cardiovascular and brain health, and is strongly associated with longer life and more years lived in good health rather than in chronic disease.​

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Reset

Winter naturally supports better sleep if you work with it instead of against it. Shorter days and longer nights increase melatonin, strengthen your evening sleep drive, and can deepen REM and slow‑wave sleep when you allow enough time in bed.​

With the holiday rush over, this is a practical time to protect a 7–9‑hour sleep window, anchor a consistent bedtime and wake time, get bright light exposure in the morning, and dim lights and screens in the evening. If you're having sleep dysfunction or suspect you may have sleep apnea, meet with a doctor that knows how to navigate these issues and find meaningful solutions for you. At Mission Metabolic Health we are here to support your health including improving your sleep. Using this season to upgrade your sleep is one of the fastest ways to stack the odds in favor of your heart, your brain, and the quality of the years ahead.