It is actually a signal that our body sends.
Who has never done a fatty morning morning? While the French sleep on average 6:58 a.m. per night, just at the limit of the recommended 7 hours, many count on the weekend to “catch up” their sleep debt accumulated during the work week. Because if the lack of sleep is a public health issue, a received idea persists: the more we sleep, the better. However, a recent study suggests that too much sleep could be a false good idea, even a risk indicator for our health.
To come to their conclusion, scientists carried out a meta-analysis. The principle is to compile and analyze the studies of studies already published on the subject. Here the team peeled the data from 79 studies, which followed a total of more than 5 million adults over a period of at least one year. “We have sought to study the association between the duration of the short and long sleep and the mortality all causes in adults”ensure researchers in Geroscience review. According to their conclusions, in terms of sleep, the two extremes are at risk.
The results of the analysis show that, compared to people sleeping between 7 and 8 hours (considered the optimal reference time), those who sleep less than 7 hours see their risk of death increase by 14 %. Made more surprising, those who sleep 9 hours or more see this same risk increasing significantly. “A long sleep period (more than 9 hours per night) was associated with a risk of mortality of 34 % higher.” It is therefore this duration of 9 hours of sleep that it is advisable not to exceed. From time to time, going beyond it is not serious. As researchers point out, excessive sleep is not the direct cause, but rather the symptom: “Prolonged sleep could be linked to underlying health problems increasing the risk of mortality, such as non-diagnosed chronic diseases or a metabolic disruption.”
You have to see the sleep duration as an indicator. If you constantly feel the need to sleep more than 9 hours, while feeling tired when you wake up, this must be considered a signal sent by your body. “The results highlight the importance of taking into account the optimal duration of sleep in public health strategies aimed at improving longevity.” The real objective is therefore to aim for regularity and quality of sleep, in a window between 7 and 9 hours per night. And if a much more important sleep needed, you should talk to your doctor.
