Just like eating, sleep is essential for the body to function properly. This moment of respite allows to ...
Just like eating, sleep is essential for the body to function properly. This moment of respite allows the body to rest and recharge its batteries to be ready to face a new day. So it's important to get enough sleep to enjoy the many benefits of sleep. But how many hours should sleep each night? When can we talk about excess sleep and what are its effects on health?
A good night's sleep is essential to the rest of our body and also has many health benefits.
But what exactly is a good night's sleep?
It is generally recommended to sleep at least 7 hours per night and ideally 8 or 9 hours. But we must know that we are not all alike in the face of sleep. If some of them wake up after a 5-hour night, others spend the day chasing because they have slept an hour after their usual schedule!
It is in this context that the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) conducted an investigation to identify the number of hours of sleep suited to each. For this purpose, 18 researchers from this entity analyzed 300 scientific publications and drew a graph showing the hourly volume of sleep that meets the needs of each person.
Obviously newborns, lead with a need for 14 to 17 hours of sleep, followed by babies who have to sleep between 12 and 15 hours.
- Children between 1 and 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
- Children between 3 and 5 years old: 10 am to 1 pm
- Children between 9 and 13 years: 9 to 11 hours
- Teenagers: 8 to 10 hours
- Young adults between 18 and 25 and adults: 7 to 9 hours
- Seniors (over 65 years): 7 to 8 hours
It is important to respect this charter and to get enough sleep to prevent the problems associated with lack of sleep. Beware, however, of excess sleep or hypersomnia.
This sleep disorder, which manifests itself in excess sleep, ie more than 10 hours per night and drowsiness during the day, can have effects on health.
The consequences of hypersomnia:
Excess sleep can have more or less serious consequences on health:
Back pain :
Doctors advise not to sleep more than necessary and to maintain regular physical activity to prevent back problems.
Obesity:
Lack and excess sleep can impact metabolism and cause weight gain, which can lead to obesity.
Diabetes :
According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and conducted on more than 50,000 men and women over the age of 45, a short night's sleep is linked to high risks of chronic diseases. This is also the case for "long sleep" which can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity.
The Depression :
Depression can be both the cause of hypersomnia and also its consequence. Indeed, people suffering from depression tend to sleep too much, which aggravates their case. They therefore enter a vicious circle, which prevents them from getting out of their depressed state.
Headaches :
Too much sleep can cause headaches, and not just in people who are often prone to migraines. Indeed, it is quite common to wake up with headaches after having a long siesta or after a long night of sleep.
Cardiovascular risks:
According to research from data from the Nurses Health study of more than 71,000 women, too long a sleeping period is linked to higher risks of coronary heart disease. Research has also shown that a too short or too long sleep time can double the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Tips to fight hypersomnia:
- Respect the waking and sleeping hours
- Doing sports, but not in excess
- Take a cold shower in case of drowsiness