Is it bad to sleep too much?

Sleep is very important for our body and mind, the hours we sleep and their quality influences our health.

Sleep is essential for humans. We cannot live without sleep, and many functions are activated while we sleep, as well as essential metabolic and immunological processes. We must get the necessary amount of sleep, so both sleeping too much and sleeping too little or of poor quality are harmful behaviors for health.

These needs vary with age:
● Babies 4 to 12 months: should sleep 12-16 hours daily, including naps.
● From 1-5 years: they should sleep 10-14 hours, including naps.
● From 6-12 years: from 9-12 hours.
● From 13-18 years: Between 8-10 hours a day.
● In adults over 18 years of age: about 7-8 hours

The alteration of more or less hours affects the vital function that sleep has in humans. In addition, it is important that these hours are of quality, so that it is restorative.

Risks of sleeping too much

We might think that sleeping a lot is healthy, but this is not the case, as it can cause or promote the appearance of diseases:
● Risk of diabetes, since blood sugar rises while we sleep.
● Increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study by Sleep Medicine, which involved almost 72,000 women, found that women who slept 9 to 11 hours a night were 38% more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than those who slept 8. The reason for the connection between this factor and the disease is not known.
● It can affect your mood by altering the secretion of serotonin (called the happiness hormone) and putting you in a worse mood. 15% of people with depression sleep too much, which worsens the mental health problem, since regular sleep habits are important in the recovery process.
● Decreases the ability to concentrate and activate the brain.
● Sleeping too much reduces physical activity and disrupts meal times, which can be linked to obesity. A recent study showed that people who slept between nine and ten hours a night were 21% more likely to become obese over a six-year period than those who slept between seven and eight hours – even with the same diet and exercise.
● People who sleep too much and interrupt their nighttime sleep may also suffer from headaches in the morning.
● Even death. Multiple studies link sleeping 9 or more hours with higher mortality rates than sleeping 7-8 hours, although the reasons are not known.

It must also be said that there are specific situations such as
pregnancy, where hormonal changes and physical discomfort can
interfere with the quality of sleep and require a little more sleep.

Problems with not sleeping well

But sleeping little is also harmful, since sleep deprivation is associated with:
● Increased daytime sleepiness.
● Fatigue.
● Anxiety and irritability.
● Lower cognitive performance, less memory, attention and/or ability to concentrate.

If, sporadically, one day, due to tiredness, stress, work, etc., we sleep more than 8 hours, we should not worry. But if we suddenly need to sleep more than 10 hours every night, we should consider analyzing our sleep health.
Depression and low socioeconomic status are associated with oversleeping in a US study. It appears that people of lower socioeconomic status may have less access to health care and therefore more undiagnosed illnesses, such as heart disease, which in turn can cause oversleeping.
People with obstructive sleep apnea momentarily stop breathing while sleeping, causing fatigue and an increased need for sleep because the normal sleep cycle is interrupted several times during the night.

What you need to know…
● Getting enough sleep is healthy for our body and mind.
● It is about getting good quality sleep and waking up feeling rested.
● If this is not the case, and if it is not solved with a shower, a little coffee and some stretching, we should consult a sleep specialist for a check-up.

As we have seen, both sleeping too much and sleeping too little can have negative consequences for our health. Finding the right balance is essential for our physical and mental well-being.

That's why we suggest you use BonaDreams, which is a natural supplement designed to improve the quality and duration of your sleep. Its unique formula, rich in vitamins, amino acids and herbs, works synergistically to:
● Reduce stress and anxiety: Facilitating relaxation and preparing your body for sleep.
● Regulate sleep cycles: Helping you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.
● Increase energy levels: Waking up feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Incorporate BonaDreams into your nighttime routine and wake up feeling
renovated!