Getting more sleep isn't always beneficial: Study

Scientists conducted many studies on the consequences of sleep deprivation, and research has connected enough sleep to improved concentration, productivity, and cognition.

Many individuals feel that getting more sleep improves their energy, emotional control, and overall well-being.

However, recent research co-authored by MIT economists confuses this picture, showing that getting more sleep isn't always enough to get those types of positive results.

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The study, which took place in Chennai over a month and included 452 low-income employees, also discovered that an afternoon nap was more beneficial than an extra hour of sleep overnight — at least for those individuals who had extremely disturbed night-time sleep.

The findings leave open the possibility that helping people sleep more soundly, rather than just adding to their total amount of low-grade sleep, could be useful.

“People’s sleep quality is so low in these circumstances in Chennai that adding sleep of poor quality may not have the benefits that another half hour of sleep would have if it’s of higher quality,” Frank Schilbach, an MIT economist suggests.

(With inputs from agencies)