In a new study, conducted mostly in Europe, Japan, and North America found that contrary to popular belief, sleeping more than the recommended amount could cause significant health issues in the long run. It is also shown that sleeping less than the recommended amount of sleep – which is about 8 hours can be destructive to your health. In an article by Healthline, symptoms include:

• memory issues
• trouble with thinking + concentration
• mood changes
• accidents
• weakened immunity
• high blood pressure
• risk for diabetes
• weight gain
• low sex drive
• risk of heart disease
• poor balance

Everyone for the most part can feel the effects of sleep deprivation, but what about sleeping more than recommended? CNN published an article proposing that sleeping on the other side of the spectrum can also be harmful. Sleeping for long periods of time is often associated with sickness and disease. It is found that this increased their risk of major cardiovascular events, like stroke or heart failure, as well as death by up to 41%. Now this cannot prove anything per say in the way that sleep deprivation can. Sleeping longer than normal can show signs of underlying medical problems. For example, someone who has unknown cancer might feel fatigued, and tend to sleep more. This can also mess with your natural circadian rhythm (a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain), which is important in maintaining a healthy/normal schedule.  It is advised to stop drinking energy drinks, coffee, and consuming nicotine. Keeping a healthy diet and exercising is important when taking into account your sleep schedule.

As a high school student, it can be hard to keep a regular schedule –  especially with homework, tests, and projects. If you take into account that at this point in a student’s life, they may feel inclined to make their own money and take their next step into adulthood, it’s hard to juggle the two while still keeping a social life. It can literally seem impossible at times. When you take into account that our food is slowly becoming contaminated, and the planet is dying – we shouldn’t let sleep cut down the already numbered days!