Physical Side Effects
of Oversleeping
When it comes to sleep, can you have too much of a good
thing? It's true a good night's sleep is essential for health. But oversleeping
has been linked to a host of medical problems, including diabetes, heart
disease, and increased risk of death.
Researchers are careful to note, however, that two other
factors -- depression and low socioeconomic status -- are strongly associated
with oversleeping. Those two factors may be the reason for the observed
negative health effects. For example, people of lower socioeconomic status may
have less access to health care and therefore more undiagnosed illnesses, such
as heart disease, which, in turn, may cause oversleeping.
How Your Sleep Affects Your Heart
Of all the reasons to get a good night's sleep, protecting
your heart might not be top of mind. But maybe it should be. Sleep duration has
decreased 1.5 to 2 hours per night per person in the last 50 years. But several
recent studies show links between shortened sleep duration, defined as less
than six hours of sleep, and increased risk of heart disease. A 2011 European
Heart Journal review of 15 medical studies involving almost 475,000 people
found that short sleepers had a 48% increased risk of...heard disease.
The amount of sleep you need varies significantly over the
course of your lifetime. It depends on your age and activity level as well as
your general health and lifestyle habits. For instance, during periods of
stress or illness, you may feel an increased need for sleep. But although sleep
needs differ over time and from person to person, experts typically recommend
that adults should sleep between seven and nine hours each night.
Why Do People Sleep
Too Much?
For people who suffer from hypersomnia, oversleeping is
actually a medical disorder. The condition causes people to suffer from extreme
sleepiness throughout the day, which is not usually relieved by napping. It
also causes them to sleep for unusually long periods of time at night. Many
people with hypersomnia experience symptoms of anxiety, low energy, and memory
problems as a result of their almost constant need for sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes people to
stop breathing momentarily during sleep, can also lead to an increased need for
sleep. That's because it disrupts the normal sleep cycle.
Of course, not everyone who oversleeps has a sleep disorder.
Other possible causes of oversleeping include the use of certain substances,
such as alcohol and some prescription medications. Other medical conditions,
including depression, can cause people to oversleep. And then there are people
who simply want to sleep a lot.
Medical Problems
Linked to Oversleeping
Diabetes. Studies have shown that sleeping too long or not
enough each night can increase the risk for diabetes.
Obesity. Sleeping too much or too little could make you
weigh too much, as well. One recent study showed that people who slept for nine
or 10 hours every night were 21% more likely to become obese over a six-year
period than were people who slept between seven and eight hours. This
association between sleep and obesity remained the same even when food intake
and exercise were taken into account.
Headaches. For some people prone to headaches, sleeping
longer than usual on a weekend or vacation can cause head pain. Researchers
believe this is due to the effect oversleeping has on certain neurotransmitters
in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and
disrupt their nighttime sleep may also find themselves suffering from headaches
in the morning
Back pain. There was a time when doctors told people
suffering from back pain to head straight to bed. But those days are long gone.
You do need to curtail your regular exercise program when you are experiencing
back pain. But doctors now realize the health benefits of maintaining a certain
level of activity. And they recommend against sleeping more than usual, when
possible.
Depression. Although insomnia is more commonly linked to
depression than oversleeping, roughly 15% of people with depression sleep too
much. This may in turn make their depression worse. That's because regular
sleep habits are important to the recovery process. Need another reason not to
overdo the ZZZs when you're blue? ? In certain instances, sleep deprivation can
have a temporary antidepressant effect.
Heart disease. The Nurses' Health Study involved nearly
72,000 women. A careful analysis of the data from that study showed that women
who slept nine to 11 hours per night were 38% more likely to have coronary
heart disease than women who slept eight hours. Researchers have not yet
identified a reason for the connection between oversleeping and heart disease.
Death. Multiple studies have found that people who sleep
nine or more hours a night have significantly higher death rates than people
sleeping seven to eight hours a night. No specific reason for this correlation
has been determined. But researchers found that depression and low
socioeconomic status are also associated with longer sleep. They speculate
these factors could be related to the observed increase in mortality for people
who sleep too much.
Get the Benefits of
Sleep Without Oversleeping
If you average more than seven or eight hours of sleep per
night, see a doctor for a checkup. The doctor can help you determine why you
oversleep.
If your oversleeping is caused by alcohol or certain
prescription medications, cutting back on or eliminating the use of these
substances may help. Never stop a prescribed medicine, however, unless
instructed to do so by your doctor. Similarly, if your oversleeping is caused
by an underlying medical condition, treating this disorder may allow you to
return to normal sleep habits.
Regardless of the cause of your oversleeping, practicing
good sleep hygiene will help you reap the benefits of a healthy seven to eight
hours of sleep each night. Experts recommend keeping the same bedtimes and wake
times every day. They also recommend avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to
bedtime. Exercising regularly and making your bedroom a comfortable environment
that's conducive to sleep will help you get the amount of sleep you need.
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