Oversleeping: Causes, Health Risks, and More - Healthline

Oversleeping is called hypersomnia or “long sleeping.” This condition affects about 2 percent of people. People with hypersomnia might require as many as 10 ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeSleepDreamsHygieneHowtoGetMoreSleepProductsSleepBasicsWhatYouShouldKnowAboutOversleeping,Plus5TipsforBetterSleepMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHT—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonJune12,2020OversleepingcausesComplicationsDiagnosisOutlookBettersleepShareonPinterestHowmuchsleepdoyouneed?You’veprobablyheardthatyoushouldgetagoodamountofsleepeachnight.Notdoingsowillputyouinwhat’scalled“sleepdebt,”andcanleadtoahostofsymptomsandhealthissues.Exactlyhowmuchsleepshouldyouget?Sleepneedsdependmostlyonage,buttheyarealsoindividual.Yoursleepneedsmayalsobeaffectedbypregnancy,aging,sleepdeprivation,andsleepquality.Ifyougettoolittlesleepyoumightconsidermakingsomelifestylechanges.Butifthatdoesn’twork,youmaywanttospeakwithyourdoctor.Youmayalsowanttotellyourdoctorifyou’regettingtoomuchsleep.Itispossibletogettoomuchofagoodthing.Excessivesleepinesscanbeasignofseveraldifferentmedicalissues.Andgettingtoomuchsleepcanevenleadtohealthrisks.SleepguidelinesHerearethecurrentguidelinesfromtheNationalSleepFoundation:agehoursofsleepperdaynewbornbaby14–17hours(includesnaps)infants12–15hours(includesnaps)toddlers11–14hours(includesnaps)preschool-agechildren10–13hoursschool-agechildren9–11hoursteenagers8–10hoursadults7–9hoursseniors7–8hoursPossiblecausesofoversleepingOversleepingiscalledhypersomniaor“longsleeping.”Thisconditionaffectsabout2percentofpeople.Peoplewithhypersomniamightrequireasmanyas10to12hoursofsleeppernighttofeeltheirbest.Sinceday-to-daylifemightincluderesponsibilitiesthatdon’tallowforthismuchrest,longsleepersmayfeelexcessivelytiredduringthedayandcatchuponoffdays,sleepingasmuchas15hoursatatime.Youmayexperiencehypersomniaifyouoftenwakeupinthemiddleofthenight.Youmaynotrememberallofyournighttimewakings,buttheycankeepyoufromgettingenoughdeepsleeptoleaveyoufeelingrefreshed.Hypersomniatypicallystartsinchildhood.Ifyouhaven’talwaysfeltastiredasyoudonow,somethingelsemightbegoingon.Lifestylefactorscanplayapart.Ifyoudon’tgetenoughsleeponaregularbasis,yourbodymaytrytomakeupforitbyoversleeping.Therearealsoanumberofhealthconditionsthatmightcauseyoutooversleep,suchas:thyroidissuesheartdiseasesleepapneadepressionnarcolepsycertainmedicationsComplicationsForpeoplewithhypersomnia,oversleepingmaycausethefollowingissues:anxietylowenergymemoryproblemsEvenifyoudon’thaveasleepdisorder,regularlyoversleepingmayhaveanegativeimpactonyourhealth.Somecomplicationsmayinclude:headachesobesitydiabetesbackpaindepressionheartdiseaseincreasedriskofdeathPeoplewhooversleepmayalsobeathigherriskofautoaccidents.Alwaysusecautionwhenoperatingheavyequipmentifyou’vebeenexperiencingexcessivesleepiness.Howisoversleepingdiagnosed?It’sagoodideatocheckinwithyourdoctorifyoursleepinesssymptomslastlongerthansixweeks.Atyourappointment,yourdoctorwilllikelyaskyouquestionsaboutyoursleepandlifestylehabits,medications,andhealthhistory.Youmayalsohaveaphysicalexamandevenbeaskedtoengageinasleepstudy.Ifyouroversleepingcannotbeattributedtoothermedicalconditions,yourdoctormayrecommendthefollowing:RateyoursleepinessontheEpworthSleepinessScale.You’llrateyoursleepinesstohelpyourdoctorunderstandhowsleepisaffectingyoureverydaylife.Keepasleepdiary.You’llrecordyoursleephabits,likewhenyoufallasleep,whenyouwake,andhowoftenyouwake,soyourdoctorcanlookforsleepamountsandpatterns.Youshouldtrackyoursleepforaweekbeforeseeingyourdoctor.Takeapolysomnogram.You’llstayovernightinasleepcenterattachedtoamonitorthatwillmeasurebrainactivity,eyemovement,legmovement,heartrate,andmore.Takeamultiplesleeplatencytest.Thistestistypicallydonethedayafterapolysomnogram.Itmeasuresyoursleepasyounapduringtheday.OutlookIfyouroversleepingiscausedbyanunderlyinghealthissue,treatingtheissuemayhelpyoustartsleepingnormally.Makinglifestylechangesthataddresspoorsleephabitsmayalsohelp.Also,askyourdoctoriftherearemedicationsthatmightworkforyou.Modafinil(Provigil),forexample,isawake-promotingdrug.Inastudyonpeoplewithnarcolepsyandidiopathichypersomnia,thismedicationwasshowntoimprovedrivingperformanceandalertness.5tipsforbettersleepSetthestageforagoodnight’srestbyfollowingthesetips:1.TryasleepscheduleGotosleepandwakeupatthesametimeeveryday,evenontheweekends.Whenyougotobedandwakeupatthesametimeeachday,youconditionyourbodytoexpectsleepduringthattime.Youmayeventuallygetintoarhythmwheresleepcomesmoreeasily.2.CreateanidealsleepenvironmentBeingcomfortablewillhelpyourbodygiveintosleep.Makesureyourbedroomiscool,dark,andquiet.Youmaywanttodarkentheroomusingcurtains.Earplugsorawhite-noisemachinecanhelpdrownoutdistractions.Trytolimitthenumberofpetsorchildrensleepinginyourbed,andavoidfallingasleepwiththetelevisionon,evenifthesoundisoff.Andconsiderswitchingyourpillowormattressiftheyareuncomfortable.3.PowerdownyourdevicesComputerandphonescreensemitwhatiscalledbluelight.Atnightthiskindoflightcandisruptyourbody’snaturalcircadianrhythmanddisruptsleep.Powerdownyourdevicesandlimityourexposuretobluelightinthetwotothreehoursbeforebed.4.MindyourlifestylehabitsTakingcareofyourselfduringwakinghourswillhelpyoursleep.Thinkaboutthethingsyouconsume.Caffeinemaywindyouupifconsumedtooclosetobedtime.Alcoholcanmakeyousleepy,butitactuallymakesyourqualityofsleepworse.Herbalteaorwarmmilkarebettersubstitutes.Exerciseisgoodforyourbody,butdoingitrightbeforeyougotobedmaydisruptyoursleep.5.KeepasleepdiaryIfyouhaveconcernsaboutyoursleep,writeaboutthem.Includeanythingandeverythingaboutyourusualhabitsandroutinesoyoucanshowyourdoctor.Besuretojotdownhowlongyousleepeachnight,howlongittakestofallasleep,ifyounapduringtheday,andanythingelserelatedtoyourrestyouthinkmaybeimportant.Learnmore:Tipstosleepbetter»LastmedicallyreviewedonDecember9,2016MedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHT—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonJune12,2020ReadthisnextSleepDebt:CanYouEverCatchUp?MedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIMakingupasleepdebtcanseemimpossible,butit'snot.Ifyouaren'ttoofarbehindonyoursleep,youmaybeabletodoitinaweekend.Amore…READMOREWhatIsDeepSleepandWhyIsItImportant?MedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.Deepsleepoccursinthefinalstageofnon-REMsleep.Duringthisstage,yourbreathingistheslowestitisduringsleep,andyou'reunlikelytobe…READMOREHowMuchDeep,Light,andREMSleepDoYouNeed?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,MDSleepisessentialtohealth,anddeepsleepisthemostimportantofallforfeelingrestedandstayinghealthy.Findouthowmuchyoushouldget…READMORE12ThinMattressesforDeepSleepMedicallyreviewedbyJennehRishe,RNLikemostthingsforsleep,thebestthinmattressissubjective.Hereare12picks,plusexperttipsforhoweveryousleep.READMOREBestTwinMattressesforToddlersMedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTWhenchoosingatwinmattressforyourtoddler,makesuretocheckforsafety,quality,trialperiods,andwarranties.Herearesevenmattressesto…READMORETheBestMattressesforPeoplewithFibromyalgiaWhetheryou’redealingwithpainoranothersymptom,fibromyalgiacanmakeittoughtosleep.Oneofthese10bestmattressesmaybeabletohelp.READMORE9MattressesMadeforSideSleepersMedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIWelookatnineofthebestmattressesmadeforsidesleepersbasedonpricepointsandotherconsiderations.READMORETheBestFullXLMattressesIfyoulikethesizeofafullmattressbutneedalittleextralength,afullXLmattressmaybejustwhatyou'relookingfor.Herearesomeofthe…READMORE