6 Problems People Who Sleep More Than 8 Hours May Face

Health
5 months ago

Everyone who wants to follow a healthy lifestyle knows that we have to sleep for no less than 8 hours to be safe and sound. But not as many people know that it’s not recommended to sleep any longer than that. Either way, too much sleep as well as a lack of it can harm our health.

Bright Side wants to tell you about 6 scientifically based reasons to avoid sleeping for too long.

6. Problems with weight gain

Different studies show that both short and long periods of sleep are connected with diabetes and obesity. This fact isn’t that obvious but doctors claim that we move less than we should, which is why we gain weight. We wake up too late and don’t have time for physical activities.

5. Depressive disorders

People who suffer from depressive disorders also experience sleep disorders. Sometimes, in cases of several types of disorders, people sleep more than usual. It’s a vicious cycle because long sleep causes despair and fatigue. You sleep more and more and don’t want to leave your bed in the morning, the world doesn’t make you excited, and these symptoms lead to depression.

4. Heart disease

If you sleep for too long, you not only lose precious hours but you can also get heart disease. Nowadays, heart issues are among the most common causes of death, and sleeping for more than 8 hours a night increases your chances of dying from a heart attack by 34%.

What’s more, is studies prove that women are more likely to sleep longer than men, which is why they have to keep in mind that there’s a close connection between excessive sleep and heart disease.

3. Headaches

A lack of sleep causes headaches, but it also happens when we sleep for too long. We shouldn’t lie in bed a lot even during weekends and holidays. Otherwise, we may wake up with an awful headache.

The thing is, excessive sleep affects our neurotransmitters in the brain and our level of serotonin.

2. Memory issues

According to a study, long sleep affects our brain work. What’s more, is if you usually wake up at night, you might not get enough deep sleep, thus, you wake up.

This, in turn, affects our brain’s cognitive functions and its ability to concentrate and remember details.

1. Insomnia

It may sound surprising but sometimes insomnia is caused by unhealthy habits together with activity and sleep. For example, if you stay up late in front of the computer and decide to sleep longer the next day, you can suffer from insomnia. 2 days would be enough to confuse your body clock so that you’d experience problems with sleep.

How to sleep less (and better)?

To let your body fully recover within 7-8 hours, try to follow these healthy sleep rules:

  • Eat healthy food.
  • Reduce the intake of alcohol.
  • Exercise.
  • Wake up and go to bed at the same time.
  • Don’t consume caffeinated drinks and large meals.
  • Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and relaxing.

How many hours do you usually sleep every night? Is it enough for you?

Preview photo credit shutterstock.com
Illustrated by Anastasiya Pavlova for Bright Side

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