Sleeping too much and too little can be detrimental to your health, research shows.
Sleeping too much or too little each night can impair adult brain performance, increase symptoms of depression and weight, and increase your risk of Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, found that sleeping six hours or less a night or nine hours or more a night negatively affected adult health.
“There seems to be a real sweet spot,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News ’chief medical correspondent and a board-certified OBGYN. “People who slept less than six hours with PET scanned brain images had a higher rate of these brain plaques that we found in association with Alzheimer’s disease.”
“However, too much, just as bad. Nine or more hours associated with poor cognitive performance,” added Ashton, who did not participate in the study.
The ideal amount of sleep per night is seven to eight hours, depending on the study.
“That really speaks to the fact that more is not better,” Ashton said. “Your brain needs a certain amount of sleep, but it’s actually too much sleep somehow.”
According to Ashton, the study’s findings, which examined data from more than 4,000 adults in the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan, again emphasize the important role that sleep plays in achieving optimal health.
He noted that not getting enough sleep every night affects your immune system and has been associated with everything from an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes to depression and obesity.
“I always say that sleep has a [public relations] problem. We look at it as a luxury. In fact, it’s a medical necessity, “he said.” We need to prioritize this at the same level as our nutrition and fitness for optimal health. “
Ashton added, “I always tell people, ‘If you don’t feel well, look at your sleep first.'”
Here are Ashton’s four tips for getting a good night’s sleep, in his own words:
1. Follow a consistent sound program: This means, if possible, going to bed every day and waking up at the same time. You can’t make up for it on the weekend.
2. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine in the couple of hours before bedtime.
3. The environment is really important. You want to keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet, with nothing to screen.
4. Meditation and exercise during the day they have been shown to increase sleep at night.