Have you ever thought of the question, Is too much sleep or Oversleeping harmful for health? How many hours a day should one sleep, stay fit and healthy? Then here are the answers to your questions related to sleep and oversleeping. A normal person must have a good sleep of 7-8 hours daily. Our body clock eventually wakes us up on its own after 7-8 hours, but if you are oversleeping and your body clock in not waking you up, then something is not right. Sleep is very important for your health, but Oversleeping? No, it can be harmful for you and your health. Let’s start by knowing, What cause you to Oversleep?
What causes you to Oversleep?
Oversleep or sleeping in excess means you are sleeping more than 9 hours almost everyday. Oversleeping once in a while is ok, but if this has become your habit, then you must stop. There can be many reasons why one oversleep or feels too much sleep. The biggest reason is Sleep Apnoea. Sleep Apnoea is a neurological condition called narcolepsy that affects that part of the brain which controls sleep. Which means you are getting interrupted sleep during the nights and not able to have a proper sleep of 8 hours. The other medical condition is Hypersomnia. In hypersomnia one feels sleepy and tired whole day, no matter how long he has slept. Hypersomnia is also the reason people sleep for long hours and feel sleepy even after waking up. Apart from these two medical conditions for oversleeping there can be other reasons like stressful lifestyle and increasing incidences of depression. Depression and stress are also the leading causes of oversleeping among many people. Laziness, fear, anxiety, weakness and boredom also contribute to oversleeping. Read more about how you can deal with daytime sleepiness.
Now when you know what is causing that oversleepiness, Let us see what sleeping too much due to your health.
Harmful Effects of Sleeping too much on Health
- You must have heard Excess of anything is bad. Excess of sleeping is also bad and harmful for your health. Sleeping more than 7-8 hours is called Oversleeping, and Oversleeping comes with lots of health problems which you are not at all aware of. People who sleep more than 7-8 hours a day are at a higher risk of a number of health problems that are mentioned below.
- Have you ever realized that most of the times when you wake up you feel heavy head? That’s because you have overslept. Researchers believe that due to oversleeping, certain neurotransmitters in the brain get affected and result in headache and the feeling of heavy head.
- A study has shown that people who sleep more than nine hours a day or oversleep are more prone to develop diabetes than those who get a proper sleep of 7-8 hours.
- If you sleep in a day you are at higher risk of getting obese. A study by Slater G and his colleagues has shown that daytime sleepiness can result in obesity. People who sleep more than 9 hours and have less physical activity are more likely to get Obese than people who sleep for seven to eight hours and follow a healthy lifestyle.
- According to a study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows that too much sleep increases the risk of chronic diseases and cardiovascular disorders. The women who sleep for about 9 to 11 hours are at a higher risk to develop heart diseases and heart problems.
- Too much sleep can put pressure on your back, which increases the pain in your back. You must have been confused of the pain in your back, especially when you wake up. You feel stiffness in the back and feel it painful to straighten your back after waking up. Thanks your over sleepiness for this back pain. If you already are suffering from chronic back pain, then you must take care of your sleeping cycle as Oversleep can worsen your back pain.
- Various studies have shown that oversleeping increases the risk of dying young. A study at The University of California has found that people who sleep for more than nine hours died at a young age.
Proper Sleep is very important, but sleeping too less or too much can be bad for you and your health. Please take your sleep cycle very seriously and do not play with your body clock. Try to sleep at the right time and get up at the right time. Use alarm clocks or any way you like. After following the routine, your body clock will get set and you will set yourself in the correct sleep routine. In case, you still have problems do not take it lightly and consult a doctor, it might be a medical condition. Now when you have got the answer of the Question, Is oversleeping harmful for health, do take care of your sleeping timings.
source and courtesy: trendsnhealth