Sleep disturbances are a common problem with chronic insomnia occurring in 10% of the general adult population and obstructive sleep apnea present in 4% and 2% of middle-aged men and women respectively. In addition, Americans are sleeping fewer hours per night than they did 20 years ago. There is now increasing evidence that reductions and increases in sleep duration, and various sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia may be causal factors in the development of cardiovascular disease. Some of the evidence linking disturbances of sleep with cardiovascular disease is described in this review.