1 week ago

Too Little or Too Much Sleep May Harm Health

Is too much sleep as bad as too little? · livemint.com

Sleep helps your brain and body work properly.

Not getting enough sleep can make it harder to think the next day.

It can also make people feel more stressed and grumpy.

If someone regularly sleeps too little, it is linked with cognitive decline and psychiatric disorders.

Chronic sleep deprivation is also associated with an early death.

However, sleeping too much may not always be healthy either.

Researchers describe this as a U-shaped relationship, where both too little and too much sleep are linked with worse health.

The healthiest amount appears to be somewhere in the middle.

Key facts

Relationship: Health and sleep duration appear to have a U-shaped relationship.
Short-term effects: A bad night’s sleep can reduce cognitive abilities and increase stress and grumpiness the following day.
Chronic effects: Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with cognitive decline.
Mental health: Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with psychiatric disorders.
Mortality: Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with an early death.
Excessive sleep: Too much sleep may also be associated with poorer health.
Optimal range: The evidence suggests an optimal middle range between insufficient and excessive sleep.

livemint.com · 1 week ago