Excessive sleep and metabolism

Everyone’s heard about how detrimental it is to not get enough sleep, and in fact, many adults in particular do not get enough sleep. If lack of sleep is bad for your health, however, does that mean that getting loads of sleep is always beneficial? According to most studies, the answer is “no.”

For most adults, getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night is just right, although some adults may need 10 hours. But if you consistently sleep more hours than that, it can lead to increased risks of headache, back pain, and even obesity and heart disease. Recent studies have also shown that people who sleep too much on a regular basis may even have problems with their metabolism, which is a little more serious than those other health problems.

What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

Adults who sleep less than six hours a night or more than 10 hours are at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which means they have a minimum of three of the following symptoms:

●        Excess fat around the middle

●        High fasting blood glucose levels

●        High triglyceride levels

●        Hypertension (high blood pressure)

●        Low HDL or “good” cholesterol levels

This doesn’t mean that if you catch a few extra Z’s on the weekend when you’re not working that you’re necessarily at risk of getting metabolic syndrome. It just means that if night after night, you’re getting more than the amount of sleep necessary for you to function right, you are at a higher risk of getting metabolic syndrome. Because the symptoms of this syndrome are so dangerous and can lead to many serious issues, it is easy to understand why doctors consider the fact that one-third of all Americans have it such a serious concern.

It’s All About Your Metabolism

Since your metabolism affects nearly everything you do, getting too much sleep can cause a host of problems. If you’re curious exactly how excessive sleep can affect your metabolism, consider the following afflictions, which can happen to you if you sleep too much:

●        Cognitive impairment

●        Depression

●        Higher risk of things such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and overall mortality rates

●        Impaired fertility

●        Increased pain

●        More inflammation

●        More weight gain

You can easily decrease your risks of this syndrome by sleeping for the right amount of time – no more, no less. Just how can you do this? First of all, set your alarm so you don’t oversleep, and resist the urge to press the snooze button. Next, never take naps on the weekends but instead, make sure you sleep only at night and for an appropriate number of hours.

You should also avoid any blue light before you go to bed, which means no electronics right before you’ll be trying to go to sleep, and try to get up at the same time each morning even when you have nothing planned. Remember, a routine is best when you’re trying not to oversleep and even when you’re trying to sleep for enough hours each night. These routines and habits can help you sleep for the right amount of time, which means you’re much less likely to suffer with metabolic issues.