A British study reveals that sleeping too little promotes depression and obesity, among others, while an excess of sleep is associated with cognitive decline and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer.
- A British study reveals that sleeping too little promotes depression and loss of brain matter in emotional regions, while excess sleep is linked to cognitive decline and degenerative diseases.
- Seven hours of sleep would be ideal for health. Lack of sleep increases the risk of heart disease and obesity, while excessive sleep seems to be a symptom of underlying diseases like Alzheimer.
- These results highlight the importance of adapting sleep habits to preserve physical and mental health.
Sleep plays an essential role in our long -term health, but how much? While there are many of us juggling between nights too short on weekdays and mornings on weekends, a new study reveals that sleeping too little is associated with depression and a loss of brain material in the emotional regions of the brain, while excess sleep could promote cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
Seven hours, ideal for health
To achieve this observation, scientists from the University of Warwick, England, analyzed sleep habits of almost half a million adults aged 38 to 73 years, from the British database UK Biobank. They classified the participants in two groups: those sleeping less than seven hours (“small sleepers”) and those sleeping for more than seven hours (“big sleepers”). The results, published in Mental health healthshow that the seven -hour sleep milestone is an optimal balance for mental and physical health. Less or more, and our organism could suffer from it, starting with our brain, according to a press release.
The study reveals that sleeping less than seven hours is associated with a degraded mood, fatigue and a decrease in brain density in regions related to emotions. This also increases the risk of depression, cardiovascular disease and obesity. In addition, a sleep deficiency reduces vitamin D and IGF-1 levels, an essential hormone for muscle and bone health.
An excess of sleep is not better for health. Sleeping too long is associated with cognitive decline, increased inflammation and poor metabolic health, including a drop in “good” cholesterol. The brain MRI of “big sleepers” also show a loss of gray matter in memory -related areas, increasing the risk of pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. The study suggests, however, that excessive sleep would rather be a symptom of these diseases than a direct cause.
Two distinct biological mechanisms
The genetic analysis of the participants showed that the lack and excess of sleep follow distinct biological paths. Contrary to an intuitive idea, they do not simply represent two extremes of the same phenomenon. According to researchers, these discoveries mark a turning point in our understanding of sleep and health.
“Lack of sleep is often an underlying cause of health problems, while excessive sleep seems to reflect pre-existing conditions. These results highlight the importance of personalized interventions to improve the quality of sleep.” By better understanding the links between sleep and health, scientists hope to develop strategies adapted to each individual.
