To those who sleep too much or too little over the weekend, listen carefully! During the week, work often exhausts us, and we are desperately short of sleep. So some people make up for it over the weekend by taking naps or sleeping twelve hours in a row. Although it may seem like this is good for you, it really isn't...
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Sleeping two hours more than during the week
According to a study published in Sleep Medicine, researchers have proven that sleeping a little more over the weekend is beneficial to counteract the negative effects of a tiring week. However, by 'sleep more' the researchers mean two extra hours of sleep. Not more, not less.
Because with just those two extra hours, you can still make up for the week. But beware: sleeping too much over the weekend also promotes depression and other mental disorders. So if you tend to sleep more than 10 hours over the weekend, don't do it any more!
Sleeping too much can cause depression
Not enough sleep is dangerous, but so is too much sleep. The study highlights the harmful effects that hypersomnia can cause. For example, even if you are very tired, if you are used to sleeping 7 hours a night during the week, you should not exceed 9 hours of sleep at the weekend, simply because this can be dangerous.
As Cosmopolitan explains, sleep is a system 'that is set in a cycle, and a habit.' So disrupting your habits too abruptly can have the opposite effect, causing sleep disturbances, or even worse: it can promote depression.
