Sleeping more may be good for your health, according to The Journal of Sleep Research.
Studies have shown the connection between lack of sleep and a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and even mortality. In a recent study, researchers aimed to see the beneficial effects of getting more sleep on health.
Published in the Journal of Sleep Research, researchers performed a study analysis of different published journal articles on the benefits of getting more sleep and its positive health effects. Researchers at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, reviewed seven studies that focused on increasing the amount of sleep adults receive by different forms of sleep interventions. A total of 138 participants were enrolled in the studies that lasted from three days to six weeks. In order to be enrolled in the study, the participants were required to be either healthy with no underlying illness, healthy and short-sleeping, obese and short-sleeping, or have high blood pressure while sleeping less at nights.
The individual studies confirmed that sleeping more (between 21 and 177 minutes extra) is good for your health and wellbeing. Specifically, cardiometabolic outcomes were improved with more sleep. The analysis revealed that increasing the amount of sleep improved measures of insulin sensitivity, as well as appetite. This study provides a great foundation for future studies on sleeping more and the effects it can have on health.
Written by Nicole A. Brown, MS
References:
Henst, R.H.P., Pienaar, P.R., Roden, L.C., Rae, D.E. (2019). The effects of sleep extension on cardiometabolic risk factors: A systematic review. Journal of Sleep Research. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12865
Smith, P. (2019). Extending sleep may lower cardiometabolic risk. Retrieved from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/w-esm060419.php
