Why are people who sleep too long at a higher risk of death?
While the importance of getting enough sleep has been widely advocated in recent years, research has shown that people who sleep too much have a higher risk of death. Charlotte Gupta, a postdoctoral researcher at
Is sleeping a lot actually bad for your health? A sleep scientist explains
https://theconversation.com/is-sleeping-a-lot-actually-bad-for-your-health-a-sleep-scientist-explains-259991
Sleep, like diet and exercise, is essential to good health. During sleep, physiological processes occur that allow the body to function efficiently while awake, such as muscle repair, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. While the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, the general recommendation is that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Some people are born with short sleepers and can live healthily on less than seven hours of sleep, but for most people, getting less than seven hours of sleep can have negative effects, including lower energy and mood the next day, increased stress, and difficulty concentrating at work.
Long-term sleep deprivation is a major risk factor for health problems, Gupta and his colleagues point out. Long-term sleep deprivation increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders such as heart attack and stroke, metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, as well as cancer and death.
However, recent studies have shown that not only short sleep duration but also long sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of death.
The analysis found that people who slept less than seven hours a night had a 14% higher risk of death during the study period compared to those who slept seven to eight hours a night. This result is not surprising, as the negative health effects of sleep deprivation are well known.
However, the research team found that people who slept nine hours or more had a 34% higher risk of death compared with those who slept seven to eight hours a night, a finding consistent with previous research and suggesting that too much sleep is associated with health problems.
You may be worried, 'If sleeping too much is bad for your health, what should you do?' However, these studies only examined the relationship between sleep duration and health, and did not demonstrate a causal relationship.
'People with chronic health conditions often sleep longer. Their bodies may need additional rest to support recovery, or they may spend more time in bed due to symptoms or medication side effects,' Gupta and his colleagues wrote. 'Furthermore, risk factors for poor health, such as smoking and obesity, have also been associated with poor quality sleep.'
This suggests that increased sleep time may not be causing a decline in health, but rather that existing health problems or lifestyle habits may be causing increased sleep time. These health-related problems may also be causing an increased risk of death.
Gupta and his colleagues argue that in addition to getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, the quality and routine of sleep are also important for health. To get a good night's sleep, they advised people to pay attention to things like 'getting sunlight during the day,' 'staying active,' 'maintaining regular bedtimes and wake-up times,' 'relaxing by avoiding screens for an hour before bed,' and 'ensuring a quiet, dark sleeping environment.'
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