Sleeping and sitting up for too long has been deemed risky for health. They say that too much of everything is bad, and apparently this also applies to basic human routines such catching some Zs and sitting!
In the recent "45 and Up" study launched by Sax Institute, researchers discovered that
people who sleep more than the regular nine hours are putting their life at high risk of early death. The likelihood of death is four times higher compared to individuals who don't oversleep.
The research also revealed that sitting for more than seven hours a day is a health hazard as well because this makes the person physically inactive for long periods of time. Prolonged sleeping and sitting put the body in idle mode for a long time and the inactivity has a negative impact on the body. Moreover, the combination of excessive sleep and sit is dealier if the person were unable to exercise regularly.
Senior research fellow at the School of Public Health of University of Sydney, Dr. Melody Ding, said through a press release, "Evidence has increased in recent years to show that too much sitting is bad for you and there is growing understanding about the impact of sleep on our health but this is the first study to look at how those things might act together."
She further said, "Physical inactivity alone had a strong association with mortality."
In addition, another author of the study, Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis of Charles Perkins Center, explained that one of the reasons for linking too much sleep to death is that, longer sleeping hours may actually be an indication of unchecked serious health problem.
"One of the possible explanations is 'reverse causality.' Long sleeping times could be indicative of an underlying, undiagnosed disease," Stamatakis stated.
This research tells us that getting a good night sleep and keeping our body active is imperative to living healthily and having longer life. Nevertheless, sleeping soundly is not just about getting nine full hours of sleep but its quality matters most too. You will feel more energized and refreshed with good-quality, sweet slumber. Here are tips to having restful sleep every night:
1. Follow regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Keep in mind that consistency is important. If you change your sleep schedule, even for just an hour or two, you will have a hard time in having a fixed sleeping time.
2. Don't turn on the TV 2 hours before your bedtime. Bright screens of your TV, computer, smartphone and other light-emitting electronics can disrupt sleep so stay away from them during bedtime.
3. Make your bedroom ideal for sleeping. Dark room is considered as perfect for forty winks. Comfortable mattress and pillow will also greatly contribute to having relaxing sleep so get the right one.
4. Watch what you eat. Avoid eating before bed and you can't be hungry either as you might end up getting up for a trip to kitchen or toilet. Coffee and alcohol are a big no-no at night since they disrupt quality sleeping patterns.
We have always been taught about the benefits of sleeping and taking a long rest; however, with the latest research, which was also published in PLOS Medicine, you might want to cut down your sleeping and sitting time. It would also be better to engage in regular exercise routine to live longer and be in tip-top shape.
