Oversleeping: The Effects & Health Risks of Sleeping Too Much
Too much sleep on a regular basis can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and death according to several studies done over the years. Too much is defined as greater than nine hours.
The most common cause is not getting enough sleep the night before, or cumulatively during the week. This is followed by sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, idiopathic hypersomnolence, as well as depression.
Preventing oversleeping:
- Get enough sleep, seven to nine hours a night.
- Do not oversleep on weekends this throws your circadian rhythms off and makes falling asleep even more difficult when the work week comes along.
- Expose yourself to bright sunlight upon awakening. Consider leaving the drapes or blinds open at night. That morning sunlight will help you to wake up.
- Consider getting a dawn sunlight emitting alarm clock. Many of my patients are using them. You can set the dawn light to start filling your room with light 15 to 30 minutes before the alarm goes off.
- Avoid excessive naps especially after 4PM. These may make it more difficult to fall asleep and result in oversleeping. The same goes for excessive caffeine and blue light exposure close to bedtime.
There are myriad reasons to avoid oversleeping from loss of your job to missing out on mornings with your family. However if you continue to have this problem and struggle to wake up make sure there is not an underlying sleep disorder at fault.