Excessive Sleeping Could Potentially Shorten Your Lifespan
Study Identifies Risks Associated with Excessive Sleeping
Researchers have long been investigating factors contributing to a prolonged, healthy life, and one habit that has caught their attention is the quantity of sleep. Since the 1980s, scientists have linked protracted sleep deprivation, primarily based on a rat study conducted by researchers in Chicago, with an increased risk of early death. However, recent studies suggest that sleeping for extended periods may have similar consequences.
In a collaborative study, researchers from the University College London and University of Warwick analyzed the sleep patterns of over 10,300 individuals in two phases of their lives: between 1985 and 1988, and again in 1992-1993 if they were still alive. The scientists adjusted for factors such as age, occupational grade, and alcohol consumption, and presented their findings to the British Sleep Society in 2007. They found that those sleeping eight hours or more experienced a double risk of mortality from various causes.
The association between excessive sleep and premature death was further reinforced by researchers at Keele University in a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Their research focused on the link between sleep duration, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in more than 3 million people. The findings indicated that individuals sleeping for ten hours or more each night had a 30% higher risk of dying compared to those getting seven hours. They also discovered that these participants were 56% and 49% more likely to die from a stroke and cardiovascular disease, respectively.
Though excessive sleep may raise the risk of early death, the reasons behind this association remain unclear. Research suggests that oversleeping could be an indicator of underlying health issues such as depression, low socioeconomic status, or chronic illness, which in themselves increase mortality risk. Maintaining a balanced sleep duration is essential for optimizing health and longevity.
Excessive sleep, as suggested by the researchers' findings, may not only be linked to an increased risk of early death but also to a higher risk of mortality from various causes, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. Therefore, maintaining a balanced sleep duration, ideally not exceeding eight hours, is crucial for optimal health and longevity, although the exact reasons for this association remain uncertain and may be linked to underlying health issues.
