While a good night sleep may play an important role in helping individuals wake feeling rested and ready to start their day, many in the medical community also feel that rest is vital to providing support for immune health, which may lower the chances of developing some chronic diseases.

One recent study from researchers at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center found that disrupting the normal sleep cycle may cause fluctuations in cholesterol levels that may contribute to poor heart health.

Researchers said that triglyceride levels in the blood rise and fall throughout the day along with an individual’s normal circadian rhythm, but that disruption can lead to unhealthy buildups of cholesterol over a long period of time.

“Plasma lipids are tightly controlled by mechanisms regulating their production and clearance,” said lead researcher Mahmood Hussein. “Here, we show that light-entrained mechanisms involving clock genes also play a role in regulating plasma triglyceride.”

He added that individuals who regularly stay up excessively late or travel overseas are at a higher risk of developing heart health problems.