Chronic lack of sleep threatens with health problems – many people know about it. But can too much sleep be bad for our well-being?
Normally, a healthy adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. But for some, such as teenagers, who are constantly sleep deprived or suffer from chronic diseases, even 9 hours is not enough. However, studies show that people who sleep more than 10 hours a night have an increased risk of depression, obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and dementia.
However, it is still not clear exactly where the cause is and where the effect is.
“It is not known whether excessive sleep causes these diseases or, on the contrary, hidden health problems cause the need for excess sleep. I think that the second option is more likely: for example, some neuropsychiatric diseases (depression, dementia, etc.) can lead to severe daytime sleepiness, ”explains sleep psychologist Jade Wu.
If you regularly sleep for 9-10 hours, is it worth worrying? Not at all necessary – especially if you feel well rested in the morning. “Some people just need to sleep more due to the nature of the body,” explains Jade Wu.
If you don’t feel rested in the morning, the problem may not be the amount of sleep, but the quality of it.
“But if you don’t feel rested even after 8 (or more) hours of sleep, you should talk to your doctor about it. The cause may be various diseases, side effects of medications or sleep disorders, ”explains neurologist Anita Schelgikar, a specialist in sleep medicine.
“If you don’t feel like you got enough sleep in the morning, the problem may not be the amount of sleep, but the quality of it. The reason may be, for example, sleep apnea syndrome (periodic cessation of breathing during sleep), due to which we feel weak and weak in the morning even after a fairly long night’s rest. These disorders disrupt the structure of sleep, and as a result, the body does not go through the critical phase of rapid eye movement (REM phase).
It is the REM phase that allows our brain and body to fully recover. If we sleep restlessly or constantly wake up (for example, due to respiratory arrest during sleep apnea), it is not surprising that we feel overwhelmed in the mornings.
“Sleep quality can also be affected by other factors: depression, chronic stress, a sedentary lifestyle,” explains Jade Wu.
How can the quality of sleep be improved? Here’s what Wu recommends:
- Try to go to bed and get up always at the same time – even on weekends;
- try to spend more time in the sun;
- be physically active;
- do not stay in a sitting position for a long time;
- allow yourself to rejoice, have fun, communicate;
- remember that mental health and well-being is just as important as physical well-being. Take full care of yourself.