Even if you diligently control your diet and exercise, poor sleep can harm your health. The prevailing opinion is that you should sleep 6 to 8 hours a day, with many studies suggesting that 7 hours is ideal. Should you take naps? What is the appropriate duration for a nap? Let's revisit the topic of sleep duration and its significant impact on health.

 

Irregular sleep-wake times... Increased risk of developing diabetes

 

A recent article published in the international journal Diabetes Care reports that people with irregular bedtimes and wake-up times have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study was a large-scale observational study conducted by a research team from the University of Ottawa in Canada, tracking 73,630 individuals aged 40 to 79 over eight years. The researchers defined people who sleep about 7 hours each day with consistent bedtimes and wake-up times as having regular sleep patterns. The analysis showed that people with irregular sleep schedules had a 1.38 times higher risk of developing diabetes. This suggests that, in addition to sleep duration and quality, maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time also impacts health.

The optimal sleep duration is 7 hours... Less than 4 hours or more than 8.5 hours can harm health.

 

Another study has shown that the optimal amount of sleep per day is 7 hours. In a large-scale study that tracked over 1.1 million Americans aged middle-aged and older over six years, those who slept 7 hours had the lowest mortality rate. Sleeping more than 8.5 hours or less than 4 hours increased the mortality rate by 15%. During sleep, the brain cleanses waste and recharges both mentally and physically. Adequate sleep duration is important for immunity, cognitive function, and physical health.

 

Is a nap essential? ... 20 to 30 minutes is appropriate, more than an hour increases the risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases.

 

Office workers also feel self-conscious about taking naps. However, some companies have installed nap rooms for employee health. Napping for up to 30 minutes revitalizes the brain and body. However, sleeping for more than an hour may increase the risk of heart and brain vascular diseases. An article published in the international journal 'Neurology' reports that napping for more than an hour increases the risk of stroke (ischemic stroke or hemorrhage) by 88%. The journal 'European Heart Journal (EHJ)' also discusses research showing that even if one sleeps more than six hours at night, taking a nap of over an hour increases the risk of all-cause mortality by more than 30%.

 

Problems whether you sleep less or more... What are the foods that help promote restful sleep?

 

If you have insomnia at night, it is better not to take a nap during the day (according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency). Drinking warm milk 1 to 2 hours before sleep helps promote the secretion of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Magnesium in bananas and almonds, as well as lactucarium in lettuce, also help alleviate insomnia. Many studies suggest that the optimal sleep duration is about 7 hours of nighttime sleep and a 20-minute nap during the day. Sleeping less or too much can both be problematic. To give the brain, which has been stressed all day, a rest, it is important to get enough sleep.

 

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I drank green tea yesterday and went to sleep.

I slept soundly after a long time haha

I'm not sure about the effectiveness.

 

Taking a nap on the weekend is a must (I should try to make it happen).