Must-Read: The Necessity of Sleep

We’ve spoke, time and time and time again, about the importance of sleep in this space. Because, to be frank about it, you know that saying about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, sleep is the most important THING about pretty much ANY day! While there’s certainly a mentality surrounding a large percentage of us — mostly men — who believe that sleep is for the weak and that they can accomplish anything with just a few hours, that’s mostly nonsense. Maybe you can get through pulling one all-nighter or having a few days in a row of poor sleep, but to do so for large parts of your life is depriving yourself of being as complete and focused as a person as you can be.

And one more way that sleep is important? It helps you stave off heart disease. So says the previously-linked article over at Men’s Fitness. How so:

In the 12-year study of more than 14,000 men and women ages 20?65, researchers first looked at how effective the combination of diet, exercise, not smoking, and moderate alcohol consumption were in preventing heart disease. Study participants who had adopted all four behaviors were 57% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease?and had a 67% lower chance of dying from heart or blood vessel problems?during the study compared to people who had adopted only one habit or forwent a heart-healthy lifestyle altogether.

Next, the researchers looked at the effect that a good night?s rest had on a heart-healthy lifestyle. Study participants who slept seven or more hours a night in addition to adopting the other four healthy habits were 65% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and had an 83% lower chance of dying from it.

Which is all a way of saying, get some goddamn sleep folks. Don’t be a bunch of heroes thinking you can stay up until 4 and wake up at 8. Go to bed you jerks!