Sleeping A Lot: 5 Health Consequences

We live in a world where everything is about balance. Furthermore, our own universe is a delicate balance in which everything makes sense and what happens has cause and consequence. We are a product of this universe. So when we disrespect the balance, we have negative consequences on our body and mind. For this reason, getting too much sleep can be just as negative as lack of quality sleep.

Sleep is necessary because it recharges the body, as rest from daily fatigue is needed. But we shouldn’t overdo it, because as bad as not getting 7 hours of sleep a day is sleeping more than 10. One of the people who has studied this phenomenon the most is Susan Redline, a physician at  Brigham and Women’s in Boston and a professor at Harvard University.

Based on Redline’s research, along with other publications and studies, we found that there is general agreement: people who exceed 10 hours of sleep a day have a worse health status than those who average 7 or 8 hours of sleep.

The negative consequences of sleeping too much

Since we are born, our body regulates itself little by little to find the perfect balance. At birth, a human being spends 20 hours a day sleeping. This number is reduced until adolescence, when the maximum of 9 hours a day marks the limit. Thereafter, it is recommended between 6 and 8 hours, not exceeding or reducing these values ​​to find virtue and balance.

The fact is that our body, wise as few others, asks us for a few minimum hours of sleep, but also maximum. Why? Because he  only really rests during the deep sleep phase and this is only achieved with a specific sleep time that does not usually exceed 8 hours a day.

The problem with prolonged sleep that exceeds 9 hours a day is that it becomes light sleep. In other words, a deep and constant state is not reached. Thus, it can be said that the rest is worse or of poor quality. And that’s why it’s as harmful as not getting 6 hours of sleep a day, for example.

It’s important to take the experts’ warnings against oversleeping seriously. The health risks are really high and can put our well-being in serious danger.

Risk of suffering cardiovascular disease

Sleeping a lot, like sleeping poorly, contributes to increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), are the main causes of death worldwide.

However, sleeping excessively can not only cause cardiovascular disease, it also increases the possibility of suffering heart attacks and neurological and metabolic diseases.

According to WHO statistics, women tend to sleep more than men, which means they are more vulnerable to developing heart problems.

Change in metabolism

We briefly commented that excess sleep can also alter human metabolism. The fact is, if we spend a lot of time sleeping, our body gets a lot less exercise.

According to international studies on the subject, a person who sleeps excessively is at risk of developing overweight and obesity. The lack of physical activity is crucial in this regard.

diabetes development

Sleeping a lot can also be a determinant for the development of diabetes, as well as lack of sleep. That’s because sugar levels tend to rise. An elevation in blood glucose level increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

slow brain

When we suffer from chronic prolonged sleep, our brain ages faster. This premature phenomenon creates difficulties for the development of daily activities, even the simplest ones.

Slowness and premature aging are due to lack of deep sleep when we sleep a lot. As the individual wakes up constantly during the night, rest is of poor quality and the body does not recover properly.

premature death

Finally, we focus on the risk of premature death. Oversleeping increases the dangers of suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular disease, two causes of premature death that can be preceded by oversleeping.

Without a doubt, excess is as negative as lack of sleep. This is because sleep is a biological cycle that has a balance that must be respected. If we go against our natural biology, we are actually seriously damaging our own health.