Insufficient sleep is generally harmful to the brain, heart and general health. However, a recent study concluded that excess sleep could be even more harmful.
The ideal sleep should not last more than 7-8 hours Photo: Archive
Sleep is important for proper health, along with nutrition and physical activity. During sleep, physiological processes take place that allow our body to function effectively when we have things to do throughout the day. Otherwise, in the long term, the lack of quality sleep is a major risk factor for health problems, according to Mediafax.
However, what happens if we sleep too much? The researchers analyzed the results of 79 other studies that followed people for at least one year and measured the impact of sleep duration on the risk of poor health or death. The results of the study were published in the magazine Geroscience.
The conclusions of the study
The conclusions are at least unusual: people who slept little – less than seven hours a night – had a 14% higher risk of death during the study. On the other hand, people who slept a lot – that is, more than nine hours a night – had a much higher risk of death: 34% higher than people sleeping between seven and eight hours, writes Science Alert.
Research has also shown that sleep too long – more than necessary for each age interval – is associated with health problems, such as depression, chronic pain, weight gain, but also metabolic disorders.
Also, the study also concluded that it is important to sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night, and a constant bedtime and awakening program is just as important for general health.
