Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study – jointly conducted by teams at the universities of Leeds, East Anglia, and Manchester – found sleeping more than 10 hours had a 56% increased risk of death from stroke, and a 49% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
It also revealed people who sleep for 10 hours are 30% more likely to die prematurely (compared to people who sleep for eight hours).
And if that wasn’t bad news enough, people who don’t sleep well have a 44% increased chance of having coronary heart disease.
How was the discovery made?
The research teams took data from 74 studies on over 3 million people. And the results were fairly conclusive: sleeping in is bad for your health.
Why is sleeping in so risky?
“Abnormal sleep is a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk and greater consideration should be given in exploring both duration and sleep quality during patient consultations,” explained Dr Chun Shing Kwok from Keele University’s Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine.
“There are cultural, social, psychological, behavioural, pathophysiological and environmental influences on our sleep such as the need to care for children or family members, irregular working shift patterns, physical or mental illness, and the 24-hour availability of commodities in modern society.”
The researchers have advised GPs to ask patients about their sleep patterns, as it could be an early warning sign of cardiovascular risk – as well as highlight other health concerns.
If you’re worried about your sleep, you might like to consult with your healthcare professional and/or a natural therapist. You can start your search for a practitioner in your area here on ntpages.
Oh, and you might want to start setting your alarm clock!
