How Much is Too Much? Things to Know About Oversleeping.
As you may have guessed, here at Mattress King we think sleep is pretty amazing. After all, humans spend about one third of their lives asleep!
We often hear about how important sleep is, but can you have too much of a good thing?
Turns out, unfortunately…yes.
Read on to discover why too much sleep may actually be bad for you.
Understanding sleep disorders
When most people think of sleep disorders, issues such as insomnia or sleep apnea come up. These are disorders that involve not getting enough sleep. The average person needs about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Any less than this, and the lack of sleep may start having some potential health risks over time.
Lack of sleep may put a person at an increased risk for a number of health issues, such as:
- Mood changes
- Brain fog or trouble thinking
- Memory issues
- Weakened immune system
- Weight gain
- Low libido
Lack of sleep may also increase a person’s risk for more chronic health issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Now, while there are a number of serious issues that involve not getting enough sleep – they aren’t the only sleep disorders out there.
Sleeping too much is another form of sleep disorder. The clinical name for it is hypersomnia.
With time, sleeping too much may increase the risks of similar conditions as other sleeping disorders, such as:
- Trouble thinking
- Difficulty remembering things
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
How much sleep is too much?
While the direct answer to this may vary from person to person, hypersomnia has a few general symptoms, including:
- Regularly sleeping long hours at night, such as sleeping for 10 hours each night
- Feeling tired or groggy throughout the day
- Trouble waking up or staying awake in the mornings
- Brain fog or a difficulty concentrating
Now, how much sleep each person needs varies quite a bit. Some people do just fine on 9 hours of sleep each night. They wake up and feel rested and ready to start the day. For other people, 9 hours is too many, and they may find themselves waking naturally after about 7 hours of sleep.
There are a number of reasons for this, including everything from genetics to daily activity levels.
It’s best to find your ideal sleep time and then stick to it.
Other factors
Other underlying conditions may also be causing a person to feel tired, even if they are getting the right amount of sleep. It’s also important to eliminate other issues such as grinding your teeth or restless leg syndrome, which may cause you to feel tired as they disrupt your sleep.
It is also just as important to investigate what you are sleeping on. If you are sleeping on the wrong mattress, you may wake up feeling exhausted or drained no matter how much sleep you get.
The bottom line
The bottom line is you should take all things in moderation – even sleep. Oversleeping can be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, and anyone uncertain about their sleeping habits may want to talk to a doctor.
