Just to confirm…when we say ‘oversleep’, we don’t mean missing the alarm! Here, we are talking about whether you can oversleep, meaning to get too much sleep.
It may seen unthinkable to some to get not only enough sleep, but actually too much. However, for others, it is a possibility. Interestingly, it may not be as beneficial as you might think.
In this post, Dr Lindsay Browning answers 5 frequently asked questions about oversleeping, its possibility and its effects.
5 frequently asked questions about oversleep and sleeping too much
Is it possible to get too much sleep?
Getting the right amount of good quality sleep regularly is associated with a host of physical and mental health benefits. Getting either too little or too much sleep, however, is associated with a range of health problems.
It’s not completely clear whether oversleeping causes negative health outcomes or whether people who are already sick tend to need more sleep (such as in the case of cancer or chronic fatigue syndrome).
Also, needing much more sleep than the recommended amount can be a sign that someone’s sleep quality is poor, such as in the case of sleep apnoea.
How much sleep is too much sleep?
For a working-age adult, the recommendation is to regularly get somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of sleep. The exact amount is very personal.
There is no specific number of hours of sleep that someone needs (e.g. 8), but rather there is a recommended range, depending on someone’s genetics, age and lifestyle.
People who get significantly less than 7 hours or significantly more than 9-10 tend to have early mortality, as well as heath issues, including an increased risk of:
- depression
- anxiety
- heart disease
- stroke
- diabetes
- obesity
- dementia
- certain types of cancer.
However, as already noted, it’s difficult to know whether oversleeping is the root cause of these health problems or rather a symptom of a pre-existing health issue.
What happens when you regularly oversleep?
Although sleeping for more than the recommended amount after a period of sleep deprivation is perfectly normal, regularly oversleeping can negatively affect your physical and mental health. Also, the relationship between oversleeping and mental health is bidirectional; excessive sleeping is linked to an increased risk of depression and, vice versa. Depression can make oversleeping even more likely.
Regularly oversleeping can also lead to sluggishness and daytime fatigue by disrupting your natural circadian rhythm, as well as poorer quality sleep with more frequent awakenings.
Can ‘oversleeping’ when you are tired help to top up your energy levels?
If you have been sleep deprived either over a number of days or had to pull an all-nighter at work, then giving yourself some additional hours of sleep to compensate can be helpful.
Although you can never fully “catch-up” on sleep, allowing yourself to get some additional sleep following sleep deprivation can help to restore your cognitive function and physical health to near normal levels. However, research consistently shows that getting the right amount of sleep regularly is far healthier than not getting enough sleep during the week, and then relying on catch up sleep, say at the weekends.
Also, if you rely on a different sleeping pattern at the weekend to catch up on sleep, this can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle by causing social jetlag.
Social jetlag is where somebody gets used to sleeping in late at the weekend, but then struggles to wake up earlier in time for work when Monday morning comes.
What are your top tips to avoid oversleeping?
Look at your mood
If you are consistently oversleeping, you may want to look at your mental health. Depression can sometimes lead to oversleeping, as well as oversleeping exacerbating depression. Speak to someone about your mood if you feel that depression may be causing your oversleeping.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
During the winter in the northern hemisphere, the reduction in daylight hours and lower intensity of the sun means many people experience SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). SAD can cause daytime sluggishness and fatigue, and affect sleep at night. Consider light therapy or other treatments for SAD if you notice that your oversleeping tends to be worse in the winter months.
Consistent sleep schedule
One of the best ways to avoid oversleeping is to set a consistent sleep schedule. This means deciding on a regular bedtime and a regular wake time seven days per week. It’s important to get up out of bed when your morning alarm goes off rather than allowing yourself to hit snooze and stay in bed for much longer than you intend.
By having a consistent sleep schedule you will help your circadian rhythm and should start to feel less sluggish, with less sleep inertia, when you wake up in the morning.
Get more daylight
Boosting your natural daylight exposure during the day can help you feel more awake and alert during the day and help you feel more sleepy at night. Going for a walk first thing in the morning can be especially helpful to shift that morning sluggishness, because it exposes you to natural daylight that helps to reset your circadian rhythm.
Speak to your GP
If you find that you are consistently oversleeping, it’s important to speak to your GP to find out what might be causing it. One of the most common causes of oversleeping is poor quality sleep caused by sleep apnoea. However, there are many other potential causes such as a thyroid issue, an iron deficiency or some other health concern causing your oversleeping. It’s important to resolve any underlying health issues so that you can get back to regularly getting the recommended amount of sleep and boosting your mental and physical health.
Get support if you think you oversleep
It seems strange to be discussing getting too much sleep as it is something that rarely seems to attract attention. However, as discussed above it is not always a positive thing and could be a sign of some of other underlying issue.
Do speak to your GP if you are worried about the amount of sleep you need. If you agree sleep therapy could be helpful, then do explore our services further. Learn more about my expertise, as well as my team member, Liz Sorrell: