Six to eight hours sleep a night is most beneficial for the heart. with more or less shut-eye potentially heightening the risk of coronary artery disease or a stroke, researchers have warned.

研究人员表示，每晚六到八小时的睡眠对心脏最好，更多或更少的睡眠时间可能会增加冠状动脉病或中风的风险。

Using data from more than one million adults, scientists found that both sleep deprivation and excessive hours in bed should be avoided for optimum heart health.

科学家收集了一百多万成年人的数据，发现睡眠缺失或是过多睡眠都对心脏不好。

Compared to adults who got six to eight hours of slumber a night, "short sleepers" had an 11 per cent greater risk while "long sleepers" had a 33 per cent increased risk over the next nine years, the researchers said.

研究人员通过比较成年人的睡眠时间，发现少于六小时的睡眠会在未来九年为心脏额外带来11%的风险，而睡眠过多导致的患心脏病风险增加33%。

"More research is needed to clarify exactly why, but we do know that sleep influences biological processes like glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammations – all of which have an impact on cardiovascular disease."

“需要做更多的研究才能解释其中的原因，但是我们都知道睡眠会影响葡萄糖代谢、血压、炎症这样的生理过程，而这些都会导致心血管疾病。”

"Having the odd short night or lie-in is unlikely to be detrimental to health, but evidence is accumulating that prolonged nightly sleep deprivation or excessive sleeping should be avoided," Dr Fountas added.

福特医生说：“偶尔睡眠不够或者赖床没什么问题，但是不能长期保持这样的作息。”

Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, stressed that getting a good night’s sleep was important for good health.

英国心脏机构的高级心脏科护士艾米丽·米格瑞强调，睡个好觉对身体健康非常重要。

She said: "When it comes to our heart and circulatory health, this large study suggests that there may be a sweet spot between getting too much, and getting too little sleep.

“睡眠时间应该有个合适的点，对心脏和血液循环都有好处。”