We have spoken several times of the negative effects of lack of sleep, which makes us less selfless and even more conspiracy theorists. But now we have the scientific proof that even sleeping too much is not a good idea: according to a study published on Alzheimer’s & Dementia sleep for nine hours or more would worsen cognitive performances In particular in those suffering from depression, regardless of whether or not it makes use of antidepressant drugs.
Sleep and depression, an already known bond. Over the years several studies have investigated the relationship between (lack of) sleep and depression, a risk factor for cognitive decline that often develops in conjunction with sleep disorders: about 90% of those suffering from depression say they have problems sleeping well.
The study. The new study, which involved 1,853 people between 27 and 85 years of agehas further investigated the association between sleep and depression. The participants were divided into four groups – those who had depressive symptoms and did not use antidepressants; Those who had depressive symptoms and used antidepressants, those who had no depressive symptoms but used antidepressants; Finally, those who had no depressive symptoms nor took antidepressant drugs.
The results highlighted that sleep more than nine hours negatively influenced cognitive functions, in particular in those who were depressed And it did not take antidepressant drugs. “In the future it will be important to conduct longitudinal studies to further clarify the temporal relationship between sleep disorders and cognitive changes,” concludes the researchers.
