Healthy sleep includes multiple components, such as number of hours of sleep per night, how long it takes to fall asleep, daytime functioning, and self-reported sleep satisfaction. Addressing these different dimensions of sleep may help to reduce cardiometabolic health and related risk factors, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

According to the statement, no single facet of sleep health fully captures people's sleep experiences and how their individual body responds. The less-discussed and less-studied components of sleep health are relevant to the sleep experience and contribute to overall physical and mental health and well-being. Sleep components include:

- Sleep duration is the number of hours per night (or per 24-hour period) an individual sleeps. The latest evidence indicates that sleeping less than 7 hours a night increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

- Sleep continuity is the proportion of time spent sleeping. Disturbance in sleep continuity has been associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, heart attack, high blood pressure or more insulin resistance.

- Sleep timing refers to the time a person typically goes to sleep during a 24-hour period. A reported bedtime of midnight or later, compared to earlier than midnight, has been associated with higher risk of overweight or obesity, insulin resistance and elevated blood pressure.

- Sleep satisfaction is a person's own perception of their sleep experience. Lower satisfaction with sleep is associated with higher blood pressure, stiff and less flexible arteries, coronary heart disease and nighttime blood pressure that doesn't decline.

Other important components covered in the statement are sleep regularity; the ability to remain alert and awake during the day (including how sleepy or tired one feels); and sleep architecture, which refers to sleep stages that the body typically cycles through while asleep.

The statement also addresses differences in sleep health for people affected by adverse social drivers of health and other factors.

To download the full statement, published in Circulation, click here