Sleep is a vital necessity, and our body and brain must be able to replenish energy and reorganize all the information that we have accumulated during the day, in addition to contributing to the growth process and the regulation of biological rhythms. Experts recommend between seven and eight hours of sleep a day
Less than that, as we all know, can take its toll on us: we find it difficult to concentrate, we are more labile and irritable and our state of health can suffer by reducing, among other things, the functioning of our immune system.
But… what happens when we sleep too much? Is it bad to sleep a lot? Throughout this article we are going to try to answer this question.
Each and every one of us sleep, sleep being an essential biological need linked to survival. It is a process through which our nervous system is reorganized and used to restore damage and the typical activity of wakefulness and which is also associated with the growth and evolution of the nervous system, as well as the consolidation of useful and relevant memories.
All of them are phenomena necessary for life in fact in a literal way: total sleep deprivation for long enough can even lead to death.
Sleep is not something sealed and homogeneous but consists of various phases, specifically four phases of slow sleep (the first being drowsiness, the second being superficial sleep, the third being medium sleep and finally phase four of deep sleep) and one of REM or paradoxical sleep These phases occur throughout a cycle that is repeated continuously during the night, modifying the type of brain waves that we use and each phase having different characteristics.
Interrupting this process or not carrying it out sufficiently so that we do not sleep as much as we should (around seven or eight hours a day in adults), whether it is voluntary (for example due to socio-occupational needs) or involuntary (as in insomnia), can have the impact that the body and mind do not rest and repair themselves enough, which can generate alterations such as increased drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and hormonal and mood disturbances
Sleeping too much: negative effects and risks
Sleep is, as we have indicated, a basic need. And taking this into account, when we talk about sleeping more than normal, most people could consider that we are dealing with something beneficial and that allows for more and better rest. However, the truth is that, like not sleeping, sleeping a lot (more than nine or ten hours a day) has also been linked to the appearance of different problems or an increased risk of suffering from them.
In short, and although it is not common, you can sleep too much, enough to be unhealthy: sleeping a lot is bad for us. Among the different risks of sleeping more than nine or ten hours a day we find the following.
It has been observed that, just as happens when we sleep too little, excessive sleep seems to reduce our cognitive capacity, observing an inverted U-shaped pattern in which sleeping too much or too little generates deficits in different mental abilities. Among other, seems to especially affect reasoning and verbal ability a possible impairment at the level of short-term memory is not so evident.
2. It ages the brain and can promote mental deterioration
It has been observed that sleeping too much contributes to brain aging, and the existence of a relationship between excessive sleep and cognitive deterioration has been demonstrated, favoring the latter.
In this sense, it has been observed in different studies that people who chronically sleep too much tend to suffer a certain deterioration in their mental and cognitive functions. It also turns out a risk factor for the development of some dementias
3. Generates more drowsiness and “hangover”
Many people will have observed that after an excessively long night’s sleep they wake up slightly confused, in fact as if they had slept less than normal. And the truth is that sleeping excessively tends to make you even more sleepy, something called a sleep hangover
Not only that, but it is also common for us to feel dizzy, weak and have a headache. The exact reason is unknown, although some proposals may be the fact that this causes us to have poorer quality and more superficial sleep, and that we wake up in one of the phases in which we should be in deep sleep.
Although there are doubts as to why, it has been observed that those people who tend to sleep nine or more hours a day throughout their lives have an increased risk of suffering from some type of stroke. Specifically, it is calculated that There is up to 46% more chance of suffering from them than people with a normative amount of sleep Likewise, it should be taken into account that excessive sleep could not be the cause of the increase in this probability, but rather a prodrome or sign that something could be going wrong at the vascular level.
5. Facilitates the appearance of metabolic and endocrine alterations
Another aspect that can be affected by excessive sleep is the metabolism and the endocrine system, favoring the appearance of problems such as type 2 diabetes, at least in men. Also obesity.
6. Increases the probability of suffering from depression
Mood can also be altered by poor or excessive sleep. And it has been observed that chronically sleeping too much is associated with a greater likelihood of suffering from depression The reverse also happens: depression promotes inactivity, drowsiness and fatigue, which can lead the subject to sleep more during the day.
7. Worse general health and shorter life expectancy
Finally, it has been observed that at a general level, people who sleep excessively have a worse state of health and life prognosis compared to those who sleep between seven and eight hours a day.
