Sleep is one of the determinant aspects of our daily life and should therefore be given due importance for the entire body’s health. Although the negative impacts of sleep loss are understood rather comprehensively, new suggestions point to the fact that too much sleep may be as unhealthy as losing sleep with regards to the effects on cognitive functioning. This has cast doubt on the previous ideas of the quantity of sleep that one takes, indicating that taking a lot of sleep is related to reduced mental functioning.
Just like the vitamins, the best amount of sleep a person should have depends on several factors.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults are advised to sleep for 7-9 hours for their wellbeing to be well taken care of. The following recommendation is based on scores of scientific investigations piecing together proof that this range enhances health, well-being and headiness. However, delay of this sleep window and especially oversleeping has begun to be examined for threats.
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The Sleep in Multiple Sclerosis Study
In a study conducted by three researchers and published in the Neurology journal, the details of 5,000 adult respondents who were aged 50 years and above. The participants have been through various tests related to their cognitive skills for a period of ten years and thus the scientists are able to monitor their cognition abilities. The study’s findings revealed a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and cognitive performance: The these authors also concluded that the shorter sleep patterns which include the duration of less than 6 hours coupled with the prolonged sleep duration of more than 9 hours negatively impacted the cognitive abilities of the human being compared to the cognitive effects of normal sleep duration of 7-8 hours.
Mechanisms Behind the Decline
To date, the processes through which sleep overuse affects cognition are still under investigation to determine their exact nature. However, several hypotheses have been proposed:
Sleep Fragmentation: Prolonged periods of sleep to six hours may have an adverse effect of interrupting the sleep-wake cycle hence the quality to the body. According to the previous research, sleep quality has negative effects on the cognition.
Underlying Health Conditions: Prolonged sleep the common sign of diseases like depression, cardiovascular diseases, or metabolic disorders, which are the diseases that cause cognitive impairment.
Inflammatory Responses: They noted that sleep may have an impact on neuroinflammation as longer duration of sleep results in elevation of inflammatory markers in the subjects which contributed to Alzheimer’s disease.
Implications for Public Health
These studies enrich the knowledge about public health and accentuate the importance of proper sleep schedule. Therefore, any provider in the field of healthcare has to consider inadequate amount of sleep and at the same time, sleep excess as a possible risk factors for further cognitive decline in a certain patient. Lack of sleep is another crucial factor, which needs the attention of the governments; thus, the campaigns should also focus on informing people about the dangers of oversleeping.
Strategies on How to Get the Best Night’s Sleep
Therefore, sleep regulation is of utmost importance if one has to enhance the cognitive function either in the short-term or for the rest of the life. Here are some tips for achieving optimal sleep:
Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Get up early and sleep early in the day, this even on a weekend.
Create a Restful Environment: Accompany your sleeping environment with low noise, no or minimal light and a favorable temperature. Always make sure that you provide yourself with a good mattress and good and comfortable pillows.
Limit Exposure to Screens: It is advisable not to use any form of screens such as phone, tablets, computers, TV, one hour to bedtime because the blue light is disruptive to the sleep cycle.
Stay Active: Staying physically active helps in maintaining good sleeping patterns; however, intense workouts should not be done right before bedtime.
Watch Your Diet: It’s also advisable to avoid taking large meals and consumptions of caffeinated and alcoholic products in the evening because these can interfere with sleep.
Conclusion
However, unlike the latter two, sleep is just as important for the Brain and body but taking more time sleeping will not help. It has been mentioned that people, who sleep more than the required amount, might suffer a decline in their mental capabilities, emphasising the necessity of proper sleep-wake schedule. Specifically, by trying to attain at least 7-9 hours of proper sleep daily and thereby following good sleep hygiene practices, one can safeguard one’s brain and body.