How much and how well a person sleeps can directly affect their physical and mental health. During sleep, the body supports healthy brain function and, in children, growth and development, essentially energizing the brain and body for the day ahead.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, lack of sleep can affect attention, creativity, and cognitive performance, and may even play a role in symptoms of depression and emotional regulation. But can a person sleep too much?
Rebecca Spencer, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says no.
“First of all, it would be difficult to do because if there was 'too much' of it, you wouldn't have any pressure to sleep and you wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Often, if we sleep for a long time, it's because we need that sleep for one reason or another (we're sick, we're sleep deprived),” Spencer says.
Read more: Lack of sleep may cause an increase in mental disorders
Can we sleep too much?
If a person receives the required amount sleep their body requires, any additional sleep is subject to the “law of diminishing returns.” That is, sleep becomes less restful and replenishing.
Imagine a cell phone with a dead battery. When a person stops using the phone and plugs it in, the battery recharges over time. However, once the battery is fully charged, keeping the phone plugged in does not increase or decrease the charge – it simply remains at the maximum level.
Each person has their own individual sleep needs.
“In general, our genetics determine how much sleep we need. The recommendation that we need seven or eight hours of sleep is largely based on the average of what people get, rather than what we need,” Spencer explains.
Because this need is partly determined by genetics, some people may need more or less than the recommended dose.
Sleep requirements fluctuate
Sleep requirements also depend on lifestyle and health. Newborns, for example, may need up to 17 hours of sleep, while a 2-year-old may need 14 hours, according to Stanford Medicine Children's Health.
As hormone levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, menstruating women may sleep less during the luteal phase, which occurs in the second half of the menstrual cycle after ovulation, according to a US study. Kureus. On the other hand, athletes may need more sleep to repair muscles and speed up recovery.
“Sleep needs will also depend on when we last slept. The longer we are awake, the greater the pressure on sleep, and we need more sleep to recover from this sleep deficit,” Spencer says.
The importance of sleep
While the duration sleep Individual needs vary, with each individual receiving less sleep than required, affecting cognitive, physical and mental health. From a cognitive perspective, people with insufficient sleep will be inattentive, have poor memory, and feel like their mind is foggy.
Physically, it can affect reaction time, which is a dangerous symptom when combined with driving. In fact, some studies have linked daylight saving time to higher rates of traffic accidents due to changes in sleep schedules. Journal of Security Research.
“When we're deprived of sleep, the immune system doesn't work properly, so we get sick quickly and take longer to heal or recover from an injury. Mental health also suffers, as we'll have more symptoms of depression and anxiety when we're sleep deprived,” Spencer says.
To achieve your sleep goals, Spencer recommends good practice. sleep hygiene, which includes sleeping in a dark, comfortable, quiet and familiar place.
“This also means going to bed when you're tired and keeping a consistent sleep schedule, within one hour of your bedtime and wake-up time every day,” she says.
This article does not contain medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Read more: Women may need more sleep than men, but research is unclear why
Article sources
Our authors in discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed research and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
