Sleep is an important component of human health, and there is a growing body of evidence that links sleeping too much or too little with various health risks. But how much sleep do we really need to stay healthy? Is eight hours of sleep recommended by some experts the optimum amount?
Health Enhancing
In recent years, research has suggested that sleeping between seven and nine hours per night may be beneficial for overall health. One study found that adults who slept between seven and eight hours per night had the lowest risk for early death, compared to those who slept less than six hours or more than nine hours each night. Other studies have linked short sleep duration to increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and depression.
Lack of sleep = Burnout?
Furthermore, research has indicated that getting too little sleep can be just as detrimental as getting too much sleep. Numerous studies have shown that individuals who consistently get fewer than seven hours of sleep are at higher risk for various ailments such as heart attack, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity. A lack of adequate sleep can also lead to problems with memory retention and concentration levels. Additionally, people who get insufficient amounts of restful sleep often experience feelings of irritability and depression due to the associated fatigue.
Start building good sleeping habits now!
It’s clear from the research that both getting too much or too little sleep can have serious implications for our health. While it appears that around 8 hours per night is optimal for most adults, this isn't true for everyone – there’s individual variability in the amount of sleep needed depending on age and lifestyle factors like exercise intensity or stress levels. The best way to determine your ideal amount of shut-eye is to experiment with different times until you find what works best for you. Additionally it’s important to build good sleeping habits by going to bed and waking up at roughly consistent times each day so your body can establish a regular circadian rhythm which will help promote overall well being!
