Back

I've heard that too much or not enough sleep isn't good for you. But what is just right?

Sleep labs have shown conclusively that sleep deprivation creates all kinds of problems in humans. Depression, increased pain, daytime sleepiness, and disturbed body functions are just a few of the things that can go wrong with too little nighttime sleep. Interestingly, they also found that too much sleep can raise daily pain levels as well. So, how much is too much or too little? According to one study less than six hours or more than nine hours of sleep in any given night will result in increased pain the next day. In their study, they found that the amount of sleep one night could even predict rising rates of pain the next day. But there were other factors to consider. The presence of other mental health issues and emotional disorders also interfered with sleep and pain. The use of prescription medications is another risk factor for poor sleep. Most experts agree that between seven and nine hours of sleep is really needed by most humans. Many people claim that isn't true for them -- they really only require four to five hours sleep. Humans can get on without adequate sleep in the short-term but over the long-term the effects of sleep deprivation start to show up.

« Back