The arrival of the weekend, after a week of sleeping badly and working a lot, the pleasure of being able to sleep without setting an alarm... But could that long-awaited pleasure be harmful to your health?
We reveal to you why sleeping too much (or too much) is bad for us.
What happens when you sleep more than necessary?
Numerous studies agree that when the necessary sleep time is exceeded (which varies depending on age), rest stops being restorative and becomes light, as when you sleep too little.
Although it is said that all this can cause other diseases, the truth is that excessive sleep is not its direct cause, but rather another circumstance that can either generate bad lifestyle habits b> that cause these diseases, or be indicative that these problems already exist.
Primary hypersomnia or sleeping too much affects:
- The mood, since during sleep the production of serotonin is altered (which is why diseases such as depression are closely linked to both hypersomnia and insomnia).
- The possible development of diabetes, as blood sugar levels rise.
- Brain activity and the ability to concentrate. In some cases it produces the feeling of being groggy and slow, although it can also create the false illusion of greater productivity and energy, but this is just a rebound effect of lack of sleep.
- Metabolic alterations due to less physical activity, which can lead to obesity.
- Cardiovascular diseases, such as negative changes in cholesterol, which is a risk factor for these.
How much should you sleep?
This question does not have a single answer: as said previously, each person's requirements are different depending on factors such as age.
-Babies need about 20 hours a day of sleep. This is because your body is in the greatest development phase of its life, growing rapidly and exponentially.
-Adolescents, between about 8 or 9 hours a day for the same reason: their body is growing and needs rest to restore its functions.
-While adults need between 6 or 8 hours per day, any time that exceeds that limit would not be too good.
In any case, you must always keep in mind that these figures refer to people with regular work habits and who sleep well at night (which, honestly, are the minority). Therefore, those people who, due to their profession, sleep 5 or 6 hours a day will need more hours to sleep on the weekend, compensating for the lack of sleep during the week.
And as for naps, they should not exceed 90 minutes. Yes, I know, some say that “a good nap” lasts 3 hours, but this can be a huge indicator of a bad night's sleep, or even a sleep disorder.
The way and amount of sleep you should sleep is not a certain science: each person has different circumstances that lead them to rest in different ways, even some circadian rhythms and a different chronotype. If you want to know more about it, click on the link.
So, let's rest! (But not much…)
