Everyone needs to sleep, but can you get too much sleep? While sleep is necessary to help your body repair itself and boost its immunity, oversleeping can put you at risk for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
If you oversleep while you are sick to fight off an illness, that is normal. It is also common to oversleep when you are catching up from sleep deprivation after staying up late or adjusting to a new time zone. However, regular oversleeping could be a sign of a larger health problem.
What is Oversleeping?
Most health experts agree that oversleeping is when you sleep for more than 9 hours over a consistent period of time.
Signs of Oversleeping
Some signs that you oversleep include:1
- Tiredness
- Fatigue
- Low Energy
- Decreased immunity
- Changes in stress response
What Happens if you Sleep too Much?
When you oversleep, you will become more at risk for2,3
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Headaches
- Depression
- Impaired infertility
- Stroke
- Cognitive impairment
- Heart Disease
- Back pain
- Death
However, many researchers agree that oversleeping causes are usually linked directly to other health conditions.
What Causes Oversleeping?
There are a few health conditions that can interrupt your sleep pattern and cause you to sleep more than you normally would. Some conditions that cause oversleeping include:
- Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where your muscles in the upper airway relax. As a result, the airway will pinch off and the body may not receive enough oxygen. Your reflexes will cause your body to breathe again. As a result, you may feel fatigued because your sleep was interrupted throughout the night by sleep apnea. Some signs you might have sleep apnea include waking up with a dry mouth and a headache.4
- Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects your brain’s ability to regulate its sleep-wake cycle. Many people with narcolepsy will feel tired during the day. This sleepiness can impact your ability to perform tasks and cause you to fall asleep during the day.5
- Depression. People with depression are often known to oversleep as a side effect. Sometimes people sleep when they have depression as a form of escape. It is a common side effect to oversleep if you have depression.6
- Medications. There are some medications that are known to cause oversleeping. Some allergy medications, antidepressants called tricyclics, blood pressure medications, cancer medications, gut medications, and muscle relaxants can all cause fatigue. Anxiety medications such as Xanax can cause drowsiness that lasts for a few days.7
- Restless leg syndrome. Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder where the affected individual has an uncontrollable urge to move their legs. The symptoms are usually most intense at night and can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. It is estimated that up to 10% of the population may have restless leg syndrome.8
- Bruxism. Bruxism is a health condition where you grind or gnash your teeth. It can be a sign of other sleep disorders as well, such as sleep apnea. Some signs that you have bruxism include teeth grinding or clutching during the night, flattened or fractured teeth, worn tooth enamel, and tooth pain or sensitivity.
- Drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol have been linked to interfering with the sleep cycle and causing fatigue the next day. If you have a drug or alcohol problem, contact a doctor for information on how to stop it.
If you have any signs of these health conditions, reach out to a medical expert for a professional diagnosis.
How much should you sleep at night?
Many people assume that as they get older, they need less sleep. However, if you have trouble sleeping, then you might have a health condition that is impacting your ability to sleep.
Across the board, experts generally believe that adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours each night. If you regularly need more than 9 hours of rest at night, then you might have a health issue that is causing you to oversleep.
Here is how much you should be sleeping at every age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.9
|
Age |
Recommended hours of Sleep per Day per 24 hours |
| 0-3 months | 14-17 hours |
| 4-12 months | 12-16 hours |
| 1-2 years | 11-14 hours |
| 3-5 years | 10-13 hours |
| 6-12 years | 9-12 hours |
| 13-18 years | 8-10 hours |
| 18-60 years | 7-9 hours |
| 61–64 years | 7-9 hours |
| 65 years and older | 7-8 hours |
The amount that you sleep may also depend on your lifestyle and daily activities. If you live an active lifestyle and exercise regularly, you may find yourself sleeping longer than someone who does not engage in regular physical activity.
How To Stop Oversleeping
If you have a medical problem linked to oversleeping, then you should visit your doctor and get a proper diagnosis. You might need to receive treatment for your health condition before your habit of oversleeping will go away.
There are a few tips you can use to get better sleep at night, including:
- Cut back on alcohol/drugs
- Exercise regularly
- Go to bed and wake up at the same times
- Avoid caffeine
- Avoid using a computer at night
You can check out our tips for getting better sleep here.
Sources
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/are-you-sleeping-too-much/
- https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/physical-side-effects-oversleeping
- https://amerisleep.com/blog/oversleeping-the-health-effects/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-dangers-of-uncontrolled-sleep-apnea
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/narcolepsy#:~:text=The%20most%20typical%20symptoms%20are,an%20individual%20gets%20at%20night.
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-you-should-know-about-the-relationship-between-oversleeping-and-depression/
- https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/medications-fatigue-and-sleepiness
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome#:~:text=What%20is%20restless%20legs%20syndrome,irresistible%20urge%20to%20move%20them.
- https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
