NOT SO HEALTHY

THE ‘HEALTHY’ practices that can be surprisingly bad for you. This week: getting too much sleep

THE LONGER we sleep, the greater our risk of bad dreams, suggests a recent study from the University of Oxford. The reason, say the researchers, is that nightmares tend to occur in a stage of rest called late-REM sleep — and the longer you sleep, the more of this stage you experience.

They estimated an extra three hours a night could double the risk of a bad dream.

In fact, long sleeping (defined as regularly getting more than nine hours a night) is shaping up to be as risky for health as getting fewer than six hours, linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Whether the extra sleep itself is causing problems or sleeping for longer is a sign of ill health hasn’t yet been determined. Ideally, aim to sleep for around eight hours each night.