What Is Oversleeping: Side Effects, Causes, Treatment

What is oversleeping?

Oversleeping is a sleep disorder where people sleep for more than nine hours daily. It is often ignored because people think that sleeping more is good for their health, but it isn’t. Excessive sleep causes distress in routine life and triggers health disorders.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important. But, it is equally important to stick to a sleep routine of 7 to 9 hours maximum. Several daytime activities are regulated by sound sleep. Similarly, oversleeping can make you feel lazier, defocused, and over the top sluggish. Doing oversleeping all the time can ruin your sleep patterns and overall health.

You may wonder if overcoming sleep deficiency is an issue too. Naturally, you may want to sleep some more after stressing day or travelling. If sleeping a bit more can refresh your body, do it. Keep in mind that the frequent urge to sleep all day every time is a warning sign you should not ignore.

A lot of us ignore the way we sleep. These include the timings by which we go to bed, the duration for which we’re asleep & other sleeping habits.

We’ve known the ideal sleep timings as 7 to 8 hours for a reason. However, many of us sleep more than this duration on weekends and snoozes the alarms on weekdays to get that extra sleep. Opposite to this, many suffer from sleep deprivation. Both oversleeping and sleep deficiencies are harmful to our health. The way we follow sleep schedule & punctuality about sleep timings make a lot of difference for our health and lifestyle.

According to a survey, sleeping too much is associated with psychiatric diseases and higher BMI. [Source: NCBI]

How do you know if you’re oversleeping?

You’ll likely get confused whether you’re oversleeping or just compensating for sleep. Here are some excessive sleep symptoms to make note of:

• Headache
• Excessive daytime napping
• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)

Major Causes Responsible for Oversleeping

What is the reason behind oversleeping? Well, a lot many causes are responsible for making you sleep more than 9 hours. Oversleeping or EDS may be triggered by the following health conditions too:

• Depression

Oversleeping does not cause depression but is a sign that a person is depressed. People getting excessive sleep might be depressed and taking sleep as their escape route. In other words, they don’t want to tackle reality and choose to ignore things by sleeping more.

• Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep condition wherein a person feels a strong urge to sleep throughout the day. Even if they’re sleeping well during the night, they will still want to sleep during the day. Such sleep disorders can lead to physical and cognitive issues. Medications like Modalert and Modvigil are effective treatments for narcolepsy. They help in regulating sleep cycles and prevent daytime sleepiness. In short, it eliminates the urge to sleep during the day so that life activities can be focused.

• Obstructive Sleep apnea

If you’re someone who snores and chokes during night sleep, you’ll want to compensate for such disturbances by sleeping during the daytime. Napping during the day and having a long night’s sleep is termed obstructive sleep apnea.

• Hypothyroidism

The irresistible urge to sleep during the daytime is a condition called hypersomnia. It is triggered by Hypothyroidism which is nothing but an endocrine system disorder.

Physical & Psychological Impacts of Oversleeping

As mentioned above, oversleeping is directly linked with your physical and mental health. It will likely affect your physique and mental abilities in one or another way. Let’s have a look.

How does oversleeping affect physical health?

You’re telling your body to get into resting mode as you’re off to sleep. The scenario gets the opposite when you’re oversleeping. Don’t think that excessive sleep is your energy-saving mode. You’re leveraging your physical wellness to risk by sleeping excessively. Similarly, sleeping less than 7 to 8 hours daily will disturb your health.

Here are some common health risks among people doing oversleep regularly:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Headache
• Back pain
• Coronary Heart disease
• Worsens inflammation conditions of the body
• Reduces immunity system potentials
• Running low on energy

Can we have any mental health effects after oversleeping?

You face mental health disorders if oversleeping has become a part of your routine life. The following psychological impacts are observed because of oversleeping:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Lack of concentration
• Memory issues

Effective Treatments for Oversleeping Problems!

The best way to get rid of oversleeping desires is to bring your sleep cycle back on track. Many oral medicines are available like Modalert 200, Waklert, Modvigil that help in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.

Moreover, you should create a sleep routine and make sure you’re following the same. Here are some best practices for sound sleep:

• Keep away from blue light 2 hours before bedtime
• Create a comfortable sleep environment
• Go to the bed & wake up at the same time daily
• Stay away from alcohol and caffeine or limit their usage
• Track your sleep cycle

The Takeaway

Sleeping less or more than the ideal timings can potentially harm your health. Make sure you’re sleeping well and staying healthy. Don’t hesitate to visit your doctor whenever you need help with sleep so that you can prevent it from becoming a sleep disorder.