More Than 8 Hours Sleep Too Much of a Good Thing

[Guest guest]

My friend had abook from the library called Lights Out, can't remember the

author sorry. It is quite a lengthy book and well researched and claims that

not enough sleep can lead to obesity, because the body is too tired to burn

it off. Also it's the right time to go to sleep which counts too, as the

body cycles start at the same time each day. It os good to go to bed at 9.30

and wake at 7 as the body repairs itself etc. I used to get crippling

insomnia, even went 5 days without sleep, until I became a vegan, so - so

much for milk's calcium. I always wonder if I picked up the cow's anxiety

from the milk, who knows or some hormones in it unblanaced me? Milk has lots

of progesterone apparently. I don't eat eggs, because one day I perceived

the spirit of the chicken inside me after I ate it. It freaked me out, never

had one since. I don't what unseen forces exist in food, but I'm sticking

with the veganism. Nicky

 

http://news./fc?tmpl=fc & cid=34 & in=health & cat=sleep_and_sleep_disord

ers

 

More Than 8 Hours Sleep Too Much of a Good Thing

 

(Reuters Health) - Although the dangers of too little sleep are widely

known, new research suggests that people who sleep too much may also suffer

the consequences. Specifically, investigators at the University of

California in San Diego found that people who clock up 9 or 10 hours each

weeknight appear to have more trouble falling and staying asleep, as well as

a host of other sleep problems, than people who sleep 8 hours a night.

People who slept only 7 hours each night also said they had more trouble

falling asleep and feeling refreshed after a night's sleep than 8-hour

sleepers. These findings, reported in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine,

demonstrate that people who want to get a good night's rest may not need to

set aside more than 8 hours a night, study author Dr. Daniel Kripke told

Reuters Health.

 

 

He added that " it might be a good idea " for people who sleep more than 8 or

8 1/2 hours each night to consider reducing the amount of time they spend in

bed, but cautioned that more research is needed to confirm this.

 

 

Previous studies have shown the potential dangers of chronic shortages of

sleep-- for instance, one report demonstrated that people who habitually

sleep less than 7 hours each night have a higher risk of dying within a

fixed period than people who sleep more.

 

 

For the current report, Kripke and lead author Michael Grandner reviewed the

responses of 1004 adults to sleep questionnaires, in which participants

indicated how much they slept during the week - excluding naps - and whether

they experienced any sleep problems.

 

 

Sleep problems included waking in the middle of the night, arising early in

the morning and being unable to fall back to sleep, and having fatigue

interfere with day-to-day functioning.

 

 

Kripke and Grandner found that people who slept between 9 and 10 hours each

night were more likely to report experiencing each sleep problem than people

who slept 8 hours.

 

 

In an interview, Kripke noted that long sleepers may struggle to get rest at

night simply because they spend too much time in bed. As evidence, he added

that one way to help insomnia is to spend less time in bed.

 

 

" It stands to reason that if a person spends too long a time in bed, then

they'll spend a higher percentage of time awake, " he said.

 

 

Alternatively, Kripke suggested that there may be a link between long

sleeping and depression, noting that people who are depressed often

temporarily feel better after skipping a night of sleep.

 

 

" It might be that depression is causing the long sleep, it might be that the

long sleep is causing the depression, " Kripke said.

 

 

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, March/April 2004.

 

 

More...

Self-reported Sleep Complaints (Psychosomatic Medicine)

How Much Sleep Do We Need? ( Health) | Message board

News Stories

- More Than 8 Hours Sleep Too Much of a Good Thing - Reuters via

News (Apr 15, 2004)

- Take out the tonsils, solve a sleep problem - USA TODAY via News

(Apr 14, 2004)

- South West Wales | Why dreamers are tickled pink - at BBC (Apr 5,

2004)

- Campaign to curb tired driving kicks off - (Apr 3, 2004)

- Time Change Can Trouble the Sleep-Deprived - HealthDay via News

(Apr 3, 2004)

- American Kids, Parents Lack Sleep, Survey Finds - Reuters via

News (Mar 30, 2004)

- Survey: American Children Not Getting Enough Sleep - Reuters via

News (Mar 30, 2004)

- Hospital Patients Are Sick and Tired - at FOX News (Mar 30, 2004)

- US kids ignore Mr. Sandman, parents sleep-deprived - AFP via

News (Mar 30, 2004)

more

Related Web Sites

- Health: Sleep Disorders - discusses causes, risk factors, and

treatment.

- How Sleep Works - overview of the mechanics of sleep. From How Stuff

Works.

- National Sleep Foundation - includes survey results and a backgrounder

on why sleep matters.

- American Academy of Sleep Medicine - strives to increase awareness of

sleep disorders in public and professional communities.

- Talk About Sleep - dedicated to information and awareness regarding

sleep issues.

- American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) - dedicated to reducing injury,

disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of

those affected by the disorder.

 

Feature Articles

- Wake up to the risks of drowsy driving - at Consumer Reports (Apr 7,

2004)

- Taft's Nodding Off Attributed to Illness - at The Washington Post

(registration req'd) (Sep 21, 2003)

- Why Sleep Matters - Newsweek (Sep 15, 2003)

more

Opinion & Editorials

- A wake-up call for drowsy parents and kids - at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

(Apr 12, 2004)

- Sleepless in America - at Toledo Blade (Apr 6, 2004)

- Asleep at the wheel - at The Guardian (UK). (Feb 16, 2004)

more

Audio

- New Jersey Targets Sleepy Drivers - at NPR (Dec 26, 2003)

- Prescription for a Good Night's Sleep - at NPR (Nov 14, 2003)

- Studies Suggest Napping a Good Thing - at NPR (Jul 4, 2003)

more

Video

- Sleep position gives personality clue - at BBC (Sep 16, 2003)

more