Is it possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to sleep? True, a good night’s sleep is necessary for healthy health. Oversleeping, on the other hand, has been connected to a slew of medical issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and an increased chance of mortality.
Researchers are cautious to point out that two additional characteristics, sadness and low socioeconomic position, are highly linked to excessive sleeping. These two variables might explain the reported unfavourable health impacts. People with lower socioeconomic position, for example, may have less access to healthcare and hence more undiscovered ailments, such as heart disease, which may lead to oversleeping.
Oversleeping: How Much Is Too Much Sleep?
The quantity of sleep you require fluctuates greatly over the course of your life. It is determined by your age and degree of exercise, as well as your overall health and lifestyle choices. For example, if you are stressed or unwell, you may have an increased need for sleep. However, while sleep requirements vary over time and from person to person, doctors generally recommend that people sleep between seven and nine hours per night.
Why do people oversleep?
Oversleeping is a medical condition for persons who suffer from hypersomnia. The illness causes excessive tiredness throughout the day, which is not generally alleviated by napping. It also leads kids to sleep for unusually lengthy stretches during the night. As a result of their virtually continual need for sleep, many persons with hypersomnia have symptoms of worry, poor energy, and memory issues.
Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing briefly during sleep, can also result in an increased demand for sleep. This is due to the fact that it disturbs the regular sleep cycle.
Of course, not everyone who sleeps excessively suffers from a sleep problem. Oversleeping can also be caused by the use of certain drugs, such as alcohol and some prescription medicines. Oversleeping can also be caused by other medical disorders, such as depression. Then there are those who just want to sleep a lot.
Oversleeping Causes Medical Issues
Diabetes: Sleeping too much or too little each night has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, according to research.
Obesity: Sleeping too much or too little might cause you to gain weight. According to one recent study, those who slept for nine or ten hours every night were 21% more likely to become fat over a six-year period than people who slept for seven to eight hours. Even when food intake and activity were taken into consideration, the link between sleep and obesity remained unchanged.
Headaches: Sleeping longer than normal on a weekend or vacation might trigger headaches for certain persons who are prone to them. Oversleeping, according to researchers, has an effect on specific neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and disturb their nocturnal sleep may get headaches in the morning.
Back ache: There was a time when doctors advised people experiencing back pain to go straight to bed. Those days, however, are long gone. When you have back discomfort, you may not even need to modify your usual workout routine. Consult your doctor. Doctors are becoming more aware of the health advantages of keeping a specific amount of exercise.
Sadness: Although sleeplessness is more typically associated with depression than oversleeping, around 15% of persons with depression sleep excessively. This may exacerbate their sadness. This is due to the fact that regular sleep habits are critical to the recuperation process.
Heart disease: Nearly 72,000 women took part in the Nurses’ Health Study. A detailed examination of the study’s data revealed that women who slept nine to eleven hours per night were 38% more likely to suffer coronary heart disease than women who slept eight hours. The cause of the link between oversleeping and heart disease has yet to be determined by researchers.
Mortality: Several studies have revealed that those who sleep nine or more hours a night have a much greater death risk than those who sleep seven to eight hours a night. There is no precise cause for this association. However, researchers discovered that sadness and poor socioeconomic position are also linked to more sleep. They hypothesise that these characteristics are connected to the observed increase in mortality in persons who sleep excessively.
Get the Benefits of Sleep Without Sleeping Too Much
If you sleep more than seven or eight hours every night, consult your doctor for a checkup. The doctor can assist you in determining why you oversleep.
If you oversleep as a result of alcohol or some prescription drugs, reducing or stopping your usage of these substances may assist. However, never discontinue a prescription medication unless directed to do so by your doctor. Similarly, if your oversleeping is caused by a medical issue, addressing this disease may allow you to resume regular sleeping patterns.
Whatever the source of your oversleeping, effective sleep hygiene will help you get the advantages of a healthy seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Experts advise sticking to the same bedtime and wake-up schedules every day. Caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided close to bedtime, according to the experts. Exercising on a regular basis and making your bedroom a sleep-friendly atmosphere will help you obtain the rest you require.
