Is Too Much Sleep Bad for You?
As people become busier with work and various social activities, sleep is often the first casualty for people attempting to juggle their busy schedules. The effects of this change in sleep duration and quality may in fact have a significant, deleterious effect on health and wellbeing in the long term.
The latest results from the Whitehall 11 study published in the medical journal “Sleep” has revealed that not only too little, but also too much sleep can adversely affect brain functioning, later in life. This large study, covering the period from 1984 until the present day and involving 10,000 Londoners aged 30-55 years, has revealed that the body seems to respond normally when people get sleep between the 6 to 8 hour time frame.
However, sleeping either less, or more than these 6 to 8 hours per night, may cause an accelerated cognitive decline equivalent to four to seven years of aging. Some of this cognitive decline even occurred in middle age.
For some people, who are filling every minute of the day with some form of physical or mental activity, finding time for sleep and even falling asleep can be very difficult. For others, frequent waking can be a problem. All factors significantly affect sleep quantity and quality, the results of which are often as bad as having no sleep.
Healthy sleep times vary from person to person, and it is important to note that it is a fallacy that we need less sleep as we get older.
If you are waking tired or unrefreshed, you may be suffering from sleep deprivation. Inadequate sleep may adversely affect your performance, concentration, memory, or mood and may even cause behaviour which causes increases in accidents and injuries. Poor sleep may be due to causes other than poor sleep habits.
Some of the causes of poor sleep quality include snoring, sleep apnoea, anxiety and stress, depression, use of stimulants, chronic pain menopause, breathholding, restless legs syndrome, sleepwalking, and insomnia.
Simple measures are of great assistance in achieving a good quantity and quality of sleep.
These include:
1 Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and sugary snacks before bed.
2 Maintaining a regular bedtime, so your body becomes accustomed to winding down at this time.
3 Keeping the bedroom for sleeping and sex only. Move the TV out.
4 Avoiding paperwork, or using the computer just before you go to sleep.
5 While regular exercise promotes good sleeping habits, avoid exercise 3 hours before bedtime.
6 Limit fluid intake in the hour before bed, to prevent the need to use the toilet in the night.
7 Have a relaxing bedtime routine i.e. warm, bath, relaxing music, light reading etc.
8 Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and conducive to sleep and ensure that you have a comfortable bed.
For those of you who having tried all of the above, without success, you may be producing insufficient melatonin, which is called the ‘sleep’ hormone. Melatonin plays a critical role in determining when you fall asleep and when you wake up. A few clinical studies have shown that melatonin is more effective than a placebo in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep, increasing the number of sleeping hours, and boosting daytime alertness. Melatonin has a number of beneficial effects apart from sleep regulation. It is a powerful antioxidant, is helpful in preventing jet lag and influences hormone production.
Melatonin is available on prescription from your family doctor.
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