The Risks of Oversleeping and DrSocial's Ways of Prevention
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 17, 2015 -- July, 2014 - Harvard’s massive Nurses Health Study ( http://www.harvard.edu/research) found that people who slept 9 to 11 hours a night developed memory problems and were more likely to develop heart disease than people who slept a solid eight.
The Harvard Nurses Study estimated that chronic oversleep affects about 4 percent of the population. These are generally people who work odd hours, have an uncomfortable sleep situation, or a sleeping disorder.
Hypersomnia is a medical disorder that causes people to feel tired and sleepy throughout the day regardless of how much time they have rested the night before. The condition also causes sufferers to sleep for long periods of time at night. This need for sleep will cause some problems to the person like feelings of anxiety, low energy levels and memory problems.
There is another condition named sleep apnea, which is a breathing problem that causes people to stop breathing for short periods of time when they are sleeping. This in turn brings them out of their deep sleep cycle for several times throughout the course of a night which leads to an increased need for sleep.
However, if we are not suffering from a sleep-related medical condition that could cause us to oversleep, how can we improve the right amount of sleep we need? Here are some tips for achieving a healthy balance:
· Nutrition – Avoiding foods high in sugar and caffeine before bedtime is essential not only for a good sleep, but for a healthy diet in overall. Fatty foods and processed carbs have also been associated with daytime sleepiness. Some of the high energy foods recommended instead include: leafy greens, whole grains, tree nuts, lean meats, eggs, fruits - especially apples, bananas, and blueberries.
· Exercise – Naturally, working out makes us more tired at night and we end up falling asleep earlier and feeling energised in the morning.
· Sleep early – One of the main reasons for oversleeping is caused by going to bed too late. Focusing on how to eliminate insomnia first will make it easier to deal with the struggles of too much sleep. Limiting the time spent on electronic devices before bed would help establish a better sleep pattern.
· Make small steps – Like everything else, jumping ahead when we are not prepared won't bring the desired results. Reducing the sleep we get by just a couple of hours as a start would do great deal and set a certain regime that after seeing the results in our well-being, we would strive to improve gradually.
References:
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.harvard.edu
http://www.alaskasleep.com
Claudio Teri, DrSocial ltd, http://www.drsocial.org, +39 3355897363, [email protected]
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