HOW MANY Z'S?

We all know about the dangers of sleep deprivation, which has been linked to obesity, memory problems, and even early death. But a new study shows that a surprisingly large proportion of Americans are getting too much sleep, and that carries its own health risks,MyHealthNewsDaily​.com reports. (click below to read more)



In surveys that asked participants to record how they spent their time in a 24-hour period, 37 percent of Americans reported sleeping for more than nine hours—up from 28 percent in 1985. Meanwhile, the number of people who reported sleeping less than six hours a night declined to 9 percent. “This turns the current concept of an increasingly ‘sleep-deprived society’ on its head,” say the study’s authors, researchers at the University of Sydney. Previous research has linked sleeping for longer than nine hours a night to an increased risk of heart disease, cognitive problems, and premature death, though it’s unclear whether too much sleep is a symptom or a cause of poor health. Lying in bed longer than usual could also be a sign of insomnia, depression, diabetes, and the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease.