We’ve all been told repeatedly that it’s best to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, but how many of us follow this expert advice? In the U.S., 35.2 percent of adults reported sleeping less than seven hours per night on average (2023), with African American adults being almost twice as likely to describe sleeping too little and 60 percent more likely to report sleeping too much (2015).

Many people associate sleeping less than eight hours a night as being harmful to the body, but it can be just as detrimental to your health and well-being to consistently sleep longer than the recommended time. So, keep that in mind the next time you stay up until 3 a.m. watching your favorite TV show or sleep in until two in the afternoon.

Could your frequent all-nighters be causing your heightened anxiety? Do you find yourself constantly waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back asleep, making it difficult to focus throughout the day? If so, you’re not alone. Many people who have poor sleeping patterns often discover that their mental health has been suffering, too.

Sleeping disorders such as insomnia—where people have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep—can be directly linked with mental health concerns. In fact, 50 percent of insomnia cases are related to anxiety or depression, and poor sleeping habits have also been associated with other mental health concerns and disorders,........

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