Research suggests between 7 and 8 hours of shut-eye each night seems to be best, reports HealthDay.

“Some of us look at sleep as the enemy. It gets in our way of doing things,” said lead researcher Azizi Seixas, of the Center for Healthful Behavior Change at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

But, Seixas said, there is growing evidence that when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices, sufficient sleep is the “third pillar,” along with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

The research team found that the combination of good sleep habits and regular exercise was related to a substantial drop in stroke risk.

Get the full story at healthday.com