Sleeping too much or too little aren’t good, aim for ‘just right’. 

Often times when we wake up after sleeping for 10-12 hours, we don’t feel as refreshed as we would’ve hoped. Instead, we actually feel groggy or tired and don’t understand why. If we slept more, shouldn’t we feel better and lively?

As it turns out, sleeping too much (more than 9 hours) can cause similar effects as sleeping too little (5 hours). This is because in both situations, you’re not letting your brain rest adequately. As Dr Howard LeWine, M.D. from Harvard Health Publishing says, “Sleep is a Goldilocks issue: both too much and too little aren’t good, aim for ‘just right’.”

Why and how should you do this? Well, although the sleep-deprived may suffer from other issues such as a higher likelihood of high blood pressure and diabetes, people that sleep too much are getting poor quality. This can further lead to depression and heart disease. Additionally, it directly affects your productivity and mental state throughout the day, as well as deteriorating your brain’s natural capacity of memory and thinking, which can cause some problems in the long-run.

If you’re feeling extremely tired, opt for a 20-30 minute power nap rather than a tempting 10 hours sleep, and stick with the healthy sum of 8 hours for an optimal result. Remember, sleeping is an issue of quality over quantity.