Sleeping too much or too little could make you sick: study

Don’t want an infection? Catch some Z’s — but not too many.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry concluded that a full night’s sleep can be an effective way to ward off sicknesses — but it turns out you can have too much or too little of a good thing.

Scientists at the University of Bergen analyzed data from 1,848 patients in doctors’ waiting rooms across Norway. A questionnaire surveyed them about their sleeping habits and whether they had an infection or required antibiotics in the past three months.

Participants who reported sleeping more than nine hours were 44% more likely to report an infection. Patients sleeping less than six hours a night or suffering from chronic insomnia were 27% more likely to need an antibiotic to ward off infection.

“The higher risk of reporting an infection among patients who reported short or long sleep duration is not that surprising as we know that having an infection can cause both poor sleep and sleepiness,” said Dr. Ingeborg Forthun, corresponding author of the study.

“But the higher risk of an infection among those with a chronic insomnia disorder indicate that the direction of this relationship also goes in the other direction; poor sleep can make your more susceptible to an infection.”

Multiple studies have proven that a good night’s sleep has positive health benefits, while not getting enough shut-eye can drastically impact physical and mental health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports every adult should be tucking themselves in for about seven hours a night, but it appears that many Americans are not getting that — and even if they are, it’s not consistent.

Another recent study found that sleep deprivation can lead to visible aging of the cerebrum – the largest part of the brain.

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that one night of complete sleep deprivation caused significant changes in brain structure in some cases, making it look one to two years older.

Other studies also suggest sleeping more hours than advised can lead to health problems, and perhaps even early death. A study published in the European Heart Journal found that sleeping just two hours more than the recommended 6-8 hours can increase one’s chance of heart failure or stroke by 41 percent.

Unfortunately, many Americans struggle with their sleep. Nearly half of American adults report experiencing “social jet lag” from sleep deprivation as a result of bouncing between work and weekend schedules.

“Increased awareness of the importance of sleep, not only for general well-being, but for patients’ health, is needed both among patients and general practitioners,” Forthun said.