A recent study found that oversleeping can be harmful for us. It can be even more harmful for older people. This is often called sleep affluence, and it is important to pay attention to. While too little sleep can also impact your health, it is important that you don’t sleep too much either. Let’s take a closer look at the impact of too much sleep on your health.
It’s time to stop sleeping so much
The truth is, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, and that can include sleep. In fact, anything over 7.5 hours a night might be considered sleeping too much. In a recent study that monitored 100 older adults in their mid to late 70s, researchers found that less than 5.5 hours of sleep and more than 7.5 hours of sleep can lead to reduced cognitive performance.
The sweet spot of sleep
But what would be the sweet spot for sleep then? It is actually somewhere in the middle. That means between 5.5 and 7.5 hours of sleep. If you are able to sleep between that period of time, you might just feel like a new person in the morning.
Now it also depends on how old you are and who you are. If you are a newborn baby, then anything between 14 and 17 hours a day is ideal. For adults, most should be getting between six and nine hours of sleep a night. To add to that, it is also best to get sleep at regular intervals. That is so the brain and internal body clock can get into a routine. But for those older than 45, too much sleep can also raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and obesity.
It is important to remain on top of your health and well-being, which is why it is imperative that you get an appropriate amount of sleep every night. Contact us at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions to learn more about how to improve your sleep.