Wellness Wednesday

Sleeping Between Six and Ten Hours a Night is the Key to Avoiding Health Concerns

Health concerns associated with those people who get too much sleep as well as too little. 

     Most people are concerned about a lack of sleep, keeping up with busy lives makes sleep a low priority, but there are some people who have a tendency to sleep too much. Sleeping too much is quantified as more than ten hours a day and sleeping too little is less than six. As good as it feels to sleep in and stay in bed all day, it might not be what your body needs.

     A study published in BMC public health assessed 133,608 people ages 40-69 years old and found those who slept less than 6 hours experienced a higher waist circumference and other symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is classified as having three of the following conditions; hypertension, low levels of good cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, high fasting blood sugar, and elevated waist circumference. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was just over 29% in men and 24.5% in women, and scientists believe it is directly connected to sleep duration. The people in the study were asked about their sleep duration and had their urine, blood, plasma, serum, buffy coat, and DNA tested to assess their health. This study helps bring to light how important the duration of sleep is for your physical health.