Recent studies suggest that less than six hours of sleep can be detrimental to a person's health. The big surprise is that the same study also suggests that sleeping nine or more hours a night can be a danger to your health.
19 HOURS SLEEP IS TOO MUCH
I think everyone will agree, however, that there is such a thing as getting too much sleep. Take, for instance, this story from People's Daily. It concerns Meng Qiang of Quianxi County in China who slept as much as nineteen hours a day.He could fall asleep anywhere, even while crossing a busy street, and exhibited all the effects of severe sleep deprivation, and, not incidentally, he also showed all the symptoms of sleep apnea.
OBESITY AND SLEEP APNEA
Meng weighed about 200 pounds, which wouldn't make him obese if he was over six feet tall. Meng, however, stood only five and a half feet. He carried enough wait on his small frame to make it difficult for him to get around.As his weight increased, so did his troubles. He was no longer capable of earning a living. His snores rattled the rafters, and, finally his wife, fed up with all Meng's problems, divorced him.
OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
This is when his family stepped in. They could see Meng desperately needed help. His two sisters had him admitted to hospital where he was diagnosed as a victim of obstructive sleep apnea.The doctors decided that the best sleep apnea treatment for Meng would be surgery and they operated to remove obstructions in the nose and throat area.
LESS WEIGHT AND LESS SLEEP
When he was finally released from the hospital, he had managed to lose about 20 pounds, and, although he could probably afford to whittle that down even more, he felt better and was even smiling.One of his sisters reported that he's now sleeping only nine or ten hours a day. Still a bit excessive - but compared to the previous nineteen hours a day - Meng Qiang has come a long way toward improving his health and wellbeing.
