Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Is sleeping too much putting your health at risk?

Is sleeping too much putting your health at risk?

When it comes to sleep, many people are not getting enough, but as it turns out, getting too much can be a sign of an underlying health issue.
When it comes to sleep, many people are not getting enough, often muscling through the day fueled by multiple cups of coffee. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of every 3 people are sleep deprived on a regular basis. That’s important since consistently not getting the sleep your body needs is associated with several health problems, including a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke.

But is getting too much sleep also bad for your health? Possibly.

A new study on more than 5,200 people between 45 and 75 years old, which was published in The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, found a link between sleeping for long periods of time (along with chronic insomnia symptoms) and declines in memory, executive function and processing speed - all signs that can come before people develop mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, according to a statement by the study’s lead author, Alberto R. Ramos, MD, an associate professor of neurology specializing in sleep medicine at the University of Miami Miller School.

Hispanic subjects were chosen for the study because, according to Ramos, they “have a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease compared with non-Hispanic whites."

Sleeping too much is associated with several other health issues, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

But, like the famous chicken-or-the-egg conundrum, which comes first - sleeping too much or the health problem?

“The study is associating Alzheimer’s with oversleeping, which does not mean one is causing the other,” Aneesa Das, MD, sleep medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (who is not associated with the study), tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Association does not mean causation.”

It’s more likely that chronic health conditions can lead to oversleeping than the other way around, says Das. Rafael Pelayo, MD, a sleep specialist at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, agrees, telling Yahoo Lifestyle: “If someone is sleeping more than before, especially if they’re often tired, you have to wonder about some underlying medical problems.”

Das notes that excessive sleepiness is often due to a mood disorder, such as depression. “If you’re sleeping all day, you have to look at your mental health,” she says. “That would be my first concern for people. Number two, people could be oversleeping because of endocrine disorders, such as hypothyroidism.”

Along with certain medications (including over-the-counter ones) that can cause sleepiness, Das notes that obstructive sleep apnea — a common condition where breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted while sleeping - decreases sleep quality, making people more tired, which can lead to oversleeping.

There are also sleep disorders, such as idiopathic hypersomnia (a rare disorder that makes people excessively sleepy) and narcolepsy (which causes “overwhelming” daytime drowsiness and sudden “attacks of sleep,” according to the Mayo Clinic) - both of which can cause a person to sleep more than usual.

So what’s the right amount of sleep you should be aiming for?

For “optimal health and wellbeing,” the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults ages 18-60 get at least seven hours each night. Most experts, including Das, say a healthy range is between seven to nine hours per night (although she points out that there are outliers, such as long sleepers who need 10 or more hours per night, as well as short sleepers who are fine on six hours a night).

But Pelayo points out that it’s not just about logging a certain amount of sleep between the sheets - quality is also key. “It’s whether you feel refreshed or not,” he says. “You shouldn’t be waking up tired.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×