Too Much Sleep Linked to Serious Illnesses
shutterstock_162735671We all know the negative effects of not getting enough sleep, but could getting too much of it be harmful too? A study, carried out by Greater Manchester Hospital, showed that people who had more than eight hours of sleep regularly were more susceptible to conditions like strokes, diabetes and obesity.
Prior analysis conducted by a variety of sources has shown that anybody over the age of 18 needs roughly six to nine hours of sleep daily to function efficiently. Exceeding this can result in an array of health issues like the ones mentioned. However, findings have not definitively proven that being asleep for more than eight hours was the actual reason for different people’s illnesses. It may just sometimes be a small contributing factor.
The Manchester research focused primarily on people who had passed the 40 threshold as they are deemed as being most at risk of issues caused by sleeping patterns. The hospital looked at how people slept throughout a whole calendar year and found that 298 of the participants had suffered coronary heart disease.
It is something that can affect different people in different ways. A statistic that clearly shows that it is a habit that needs to be monitored, is that regularly exceeding eight hours means that you will have a 46 per cent higher risk of illness. The research also made it clear that the people sleeping less than six hours a day were nearly all elderly ladies with reduced mobility.
William Maynard, a Specialist in sleep medicine, who conducted the research said: “We are always looking further into sleep patterns and the link they have with medical conditions.
“It is an area that has a vast array of different symptoms, struggles and in some senses contradictions and with further experiments we will find more answers and possible remedies.”
“Anyone that has concerns about their sleeping patterns, or even health in general, should speak to their registered GP.”
Margaret Daley, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Leeds, said: “There are also many links between unhealthy sleep patterns and mental distress and obesity. Managing your daily routine better and making sure you live the healthiest lifestyle possible will make a big difference to your sleep patterns, and even more poignant, your overall health.”