Attention insomnia sufferers – maybe not getting as much sleep as you want isn’t necessarily such a bad thing! In this article from MSN Health & Fitness, we’re told that regularly sleeping more than 8 hours a night disrupts blood sugar levels which could make diabetes a concern and that sleeping more than 9 hours is linked to an increased risk of death due to any cause!
Of course, we’re painting a rosy picture for you here because we know most people that read this blog are insomniacs. So, let’s get back to reality:
- If you’re sleeping less than 7 hours a night, you’re three times more likely to catch a cold.
- If you’re sleeping less than 6 hours a night, you will suffer from impaired memory, reaction time and general cognition.
- If you’re sleeping less than 5 hours a night, you weaken your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, which may double your risk for type 2 diabetes. You’re also 50% more likely to develop high blood pressure than are those who get more than 6 hours sleep.
Sorry to dampen the mood – however, next time your friends talk about their marathon sleep sessions, you can let them know that too much sleep may be almost as bad as too little. Perhaps they’ll be more sympathetic as a result!