One of life’s greatest pleasures is falling asleep. This, in turn, provides multiple health benefits, reducing the risk of physical and mental conditions that impair people’s quality of life.
In this way, health professionals advise you to follow healthyc that allow you to enjoy a good sleep, as well as to adhere to the rule of sleeping between 7 or 8 uninterrupted hours. However, there are some special conditions that cause sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, or, on the contrary, problems that suggest that the person sleeps more than usual, which also has serious repercussions for health.
Although it is clear that over the years the body needs more rest because it tends to feel tired and want to sleep more, it is important to regulate sleep time at any stage of life.
Is sleeping too long bad?
About 40% of the world’s population suffers or has suffered from insomnia in their lives, but, according to health professionals, there are also cases in which adults sleep more than eight hours. This means that the metabolic and immune benefits of sleep lose their effects or are not as profound, the quality of sleep decreases, it becomes lighter and less ideal for adequate rest.
On the other hand, it is believed that sleeping too much can greatly affect mental health and some brain functions, as this is related to dementia, mood states and stability.
As for the physical consequences, sleeping more than usual can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions like diabetes, due to high blood sugar levels and less food intake to regulate them.
With that, several studies carried out by the University of Shandong, in China, revealed that mental decline is prevalent in men between 60 and 74 years old. They also indicated that this disorder may be directly related to the feeling of drowsiness during the day that the patient appears, in addition to the difficulty in waking up when necessary, known as hypersomnia.
Among the most important details of the studies, the researchers identified that, despite the long hours of sleep, patients with hypersomnia did not seem to sleep peacefully. This results in difficult, anxious, and brooding nervous behaviors and even loss of appetite. It can also increase your risk of thyroid disease, sleep attacks, sleep apnea, and more.
Bad habits that affect sleep quality
The Expansión portal lists some habits that can cause insomnia. It should be noted that, although these are generalities, specific cases may be found that require further analysis.
1. Falling asleep while watching TV. They state that the presence of a television in the room is not recommended because it emits strong lights and the sound can affect the brain, as it prevents it from entering a state of deep REM sleep. “That is, you will not feel rejuvenated because you will never enter the therapeutic part of your dream”, they specify.
2. Sleeping with cell phones and computers near the bed. Although they are devices strongly integrated into nighttime habits, both emit light that will alter the circadian rhythm, “which means that the body will not produce melatonin that will help you sleep”, they explain to the Mexican newspaper.
3. Not keeping a nighttime routine. If you are one of those people who chooses the night to watch that movie or series that is among their outstanding leisure moments, it is better to choose the night time slot. Staying awake to watch a movie or series means sleeping less hours. If this becomes a habit, the body will suffer and disorders will begin that can later cause insomnia.
4. You consume too much caffeine. In some bodies, caffeine keeps the body awake, so it’s advised that “part of a good nighttime routine include non-caffeinated drinks from 4pm onwards, although eliminating them entirely is most beneficial.”
