If you're like most people, you'd kill for a longer night's sleep. But in turn, longer sleep might just kill you. New research shows that adults who sleep more than eight hours a night are at a higher risk of early death.
Health Effects of Being a Long Sleeper
In studies with large groups of participants, long sleepers have been found to have an elevated risk of cardiovascular problems. View Source , including heart disease and stroke, as well as diabetes.
Compared to individuals who had zero to one favorable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30% less likely to die for any reason, 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 19% less likely to die from cancer, and 40% less likely to die of causes other than heart disease or cancer.
Though it may seem counterintuitive, sleep is a busy time for your body. Various processes are at work that help everything from your cardiovascular system to your brain function at their best. It's because of this that getting enough sleep can improve your overall health, which may help boost your longevity.
“If we can improve sleep overall, and identifying sleep disorders is especially important, we may be able to prevent some of this premature mortality,” Qian said in a statement. What do you do? First, make sure you get a full seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
We grow up and we don't look quite the same. But all this is only on the outside. Beneath the surface, your body is aging too, and sleep loss can speed up the process. A study done by UCLA researchers discovered that just a single night of insufficient sleep can make an older adults' cells age quicker.
The study found that, compared with people who had zero to one favourable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30% less likely to die for any reason, 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 19% less likely to die from cancer, and 40% less likely to die of causes other than heart disease or cancer.
After adjusting the data to account for educational level, use of alcohol, smoking, the level of body mass, and sleep duration, the study found that being a night owl increased the risk of an early death by about 9% compared with morning types, who are often called early birds.
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these sleep positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the spine and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
Sleep expert from Eachnight, Kiera Pritchard reveals sleeping on your side could be one of the best sleeping positions and may even boost longevity.
The early bird may get the worm, but the night owl may be smarter – according some research. Recent studies suggest that those who deviate from their preordained sleeping patterns may do so because they are more intelligent than those who go to bed early. Not only are they smarter but they are often more creative.
Intelligent People are more Likely to Sleep Late
In a study of over 20,000 adolescents over a 5 year period, Psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa found that “intelligent individuals are more likely to be night owls.” This stayed true across a wide swath of variables, including ethnicity, education, and religion.
Previous studies have proven that night owls are smarter and richer than early risers, but recent findings show that they are also quicker and more alert when doing complex tasks throughout the day.
For some people, being a heavy sleeper may not cause any significant problems. However, for others, it can lead to issues such as difficulty getting to work or school on time, missing important appointments or events, and even being in danger if they sleep through important alarms or warnings.
Recommended. People who are obese are more likely to have insomnia, which is when you can't fall or stay asleep. They're also more likely to be sleepy and exhausted during the daytime, even if they've never noticed sleep issues like waking up in the middle of the night.
If you sleep on your side, you can put your mind at rest about protecting the health of your brain. According to recent research, side sleeping enhances your brain's ability to eliminate the built-up waste that can lead to neurological diseases.
Instead, try: Sleeping on your left side to make it easier for blood to flow in and around your heart.
Women who share a bed tend to sleep on the left side for safety and security. They also are more likely to sleep closer to the radiator.
It's linked to serious chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and weakened immune function. It also compromises your ability to cope with stress. Sleep's influence doesn't stop there. Research shows that poor sleep habits have been found to shorten a person's lifespan.
Overall, our analysis of an adult sample suggests that highly intelligent individuals do not have a biological preference for a later chronotype: while they do go to bed, sleep, and wake up later on work days, this effect is fully mediated by later working times and not present on free days or in the corrected ...
Sleep and Aging
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol. 2 hours before bed: No more work. 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers). 0: The number of times you'll need to hit snooze in the AM.