Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice his Department provides on the potential benefits of sleep in reducing the risk of a heart attack.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that there is evidence that a lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks as well as other cardiovascular disorders, particularly in patients with sleep apnoea. However, excessive sleeping should also be avoided, so it is important that the right amount of sleep is achieved.

The National Health Service website has published advice for the public on the importance of having a sufficient amount of sleep for good health, noting that a continued lack of sleep can affect overall health and make you susceptible to a range of serious medical conditions, including heart disease. Further details on healthy sleep advice for the public are available at the following link on the NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/