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High cholesterol is when there is too much of the fatty substance in your blood - which could eventually block your blood vessels and lead to heart problems or a stroke. It can run in
families, and can also be caused by eating fatty foods, being overweight, and not exercising enough. Fortunately, there are things you can do to get it under control such as lifestyle and
diet changes. Sleep can also play a role in managing your cholesterol levels - but how does that work? Our cholesterol metabolism happens at night, cardiologist Dr Nivee Amin, told
Prevention. She explained: "That's why a lot of times the medications we take for cholesterol are prescribed to be taken at bedtime." In fact, losing sleep can disrupt your
body’s processing of the fats and sugars you ate during the day. By sleeping enough, you will also have the energy to do the things like make up a healthy lifestyle, like "choosing
healthy foods and exercising regularly”, Dr Amin said, which in turn can lower cholesterol. However, getting too much sleep can also have a negative impact on your cholesterol levels. A
Japanese study found that not getting less than five hours sleep, and getting more than eight hours, were both linked to higher levels of bad cholesterol. Another study found that people who
didn’t get enough sleep were more likely to have high triglycerides and lower levels of good cholesterol. Those who slept eight hours a night, had the highest levels of good cholesterol,
Web MD explained. HOW MUCH SLEEP SHOULD YOU BE GETTING? Adults over the age of 18 need between seven and nine hours every night, according to Cleveland Clinic - although this figure can vary
from person to person. Teenagers need eight to ten hours, and school-aged children between the ages of six and twelve need between nine and twelve hours of sleep a night. Stress also plays
a role on your cholesterol, so it is important to try and keep your levels under control. Preventative cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, Dr Leslie Cho, explained that stress “has an
incredibly important role in cardiac health”. Dr Cho said: “Stress produces a hormone that raises our blood pressure, our heart rate, and our likelihood of heart attack and stroke. It can
also drive us to eat badly, sleep less and drink more.” The British Heart Foundation advised that maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to lower your risk of problems like high blood
pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Sleep plays a key role here, too, as not sleeping enough has been linked with an increased desire for sugary food, which can lead to weight gain over
time. Other steps you can take to lower your cholesterol levels is to give up smoking. Dr Cho said: “The risk factors of smoking are additive. If you have high cholesterol and you smoke, you
double your risk.” You should also consider eating less fatty foods, exercising more, and cutting down on alcohol.