From the Guidelines
Both insufficient and excessive sleep are associated with negative health outcomes, and adults should aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night for optimal health. The relationship between sleep duration and health is U-shaped, suggesting that both extremes are problematic 1. While sleeping too little is harmful, regularly sleeping more than 9 hours per night has also been linked to increased risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and mortality. Excessive sleep may indicate underlying health conditions like depression, sleep apnea, or heart disease, rather than being the direct cause of poor health 1.
Key Points to Consider
- The amount of sleep needed by an individual varies significantly with age across the life span 1
- Short sleep duration (<6 h per 24-h period) is associated with adverse outcomes including mortality 1
- Long sleep duration (>9–10 h per 24-h period) may be associated with adverse health outcomes 1
- Sleep disorders are common, cause significant morbidity, and have substantial economic impact, but are treatable 1
Recommendations for Optimal Sleep
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
- Create a comfortable sleep environment
- Limit screen time before bed
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol near bedtime
- Consult a healthcare provider if you consistently need more sleep than 7-9 hours per night or feel excessively tired despite sleeping longer 1
From the Research
Increased Sleep and Negative Health Outcomes
- There is evidence to suggest that increased sleep duration may be associated with negative health outcomes, although the relationship between sleep and health is complex and influenced by various factors 2.
- A systematic review of 36 systematic reviews found that the sleep duration most favorably associated with health was 7-8 hours per day, with longer or shorter sleep durations potentially leading to negative health outcomes 2.
- However, the provided studies do not directly examine the relationship between increased sleep and negative health outcomes, instead focusing on the treatment of comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy 3, 4, 5, 6.
Treatment of Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea
- CBT-I has been shown to be an effective treatment for comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, improving sleep parameters and reducing daytime sleepiness 3, 4, 5.
- PAP therapy has also been found to be effective in improving sleep parameters and reducing daytime sleepiness in patients with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea 4, 6.
- However, one study found that CBT-I was associated with poorer neurocognitive performance, potentially due to the sleep restriction component of the therapy 6.
Neurocognitive Functioning
- Neurocognitive impairments in comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea are not well documented, but one study found that patients with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea had worse neurocognitive performance at baseline compared to reported values for insomnia, sleep apnea, and controls 6.
- PAP therapy was found to improve neurocognitive performance, while CBT-I was associated with poorer performance, potentially due to the sleep restriction component of the therapy 6.