How Does Oversleeping Affect Your Health?

Sleep is a necessary part of our day. It allows our body to rest and serves as a time when our brain processes the events of the day and forms memories. The better quality sleep we get, the more effectively our brain processes new information. Getting enough sleep is essential for your body and mind to function correctly.

A good night’s sleep is usually essential for the human body to function optimally. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your brain can’t regenerate and can take over. A person who sleeps regularly is less likely to get sick and recover faster from sickness. A lack of sleep can usually affect our mood, productivity, and emotional balance. It also has a negative impact on our immune system and can lead to depression and anxiety.

While establishing that sleep is essential, it is also vital that we don’t oversleep. Oversleeping might seem like a solution to all ailments, but it again deciphers underlying health conditions of the body that can be serious. The symptoms of oversleeping are more like a symptom than a diagnosis. In addition to chronic kidney disease, excessive sleepiness may also be a symptom of circadian rhythm disorders, thyroid disorders, and heart disease.

Apart from all these, one factor that lets you sleep comfortably is a comfortable bed. But a bed without a headboard seems incomplete. Therefore we must add a headboard to the bed for its wide variety of advantages associated with the same.

So What’s The Ideal Sleeping Time?

Though sleep is determined by age factor, it also considers your current health condition. If you are a little stressed or active or are going through any illness, you might need more sleep than usual.

The answer to how much sleep we need varies depending on age, gender, and activity level. Children and adolescents need around 10 to 13 hours of sleep every day, while school-age children and teens need nine to 11 hours. Adults basically need seven to nine hours of sleep, and older people may need even more. However, the exact amount of sleep required depends on the individual. But despite it, some people find it comforting to sleep for a longer duration, and thus here we will discuss why.

Apart from all these varied factors, another thing that lets you sleep comfortably is a mattress, but a mattress must be adequately protected with a mattress pad and topper. Mattress pads and toppers are available in varied materials and quality that you can choose from.

Causes of Over Sleeping

Sleep disorder

Oversleeping can be a sign of a more severe problem. Oversleeping may indicate a sleep disorder. Fortunately, oversleeping is not an extreme symptom of a sleep disorder. Most people need to sleep enough to feel refreshed and fully recovered. If you suffer from a sleeping disorder, it is essential to treat the cause.

Depression

Many people with chronic oversleeping disorders also suffer from depression. Although depression can lead to excessive sleepiness, oversleeping is an early sign of depression. The condition can worsen an already debilitating mental state. In addition, people who oversleep frequently may have trouble waking up in the morning or falling asleep. They may have difficulty concentrating during the day and are groggy in the morning.

Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Idiopathic hypersomnia is a disorder where there is an extreme urge to sleep during the day. Often, patients with this disorder will experience daytime sleepiness that lasts throughout the night. For some people, the condition may be a symptom of another medical condition, such as depression, or a side effect of another treatment. Idiopathic hypersomnia is when an individual cannot sleep in inertia or excessive daytime sleepiness. They are often unable to wake up on their own. It is important to remember that people with Idiopathic hypersomnia do not wake up refreshed and can be dangerous when driving.

Narcolepsy 

The irregularity of REM rest and excessive drowsiness regularly makes those with narcolepsy sleep late.

Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder that occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax too much. These muscles support the tongue, tonsils, and soft palate. When these muscles relax, the airway narrows, and the sufferer stops breathing for about 10 seconds. This results in a buildup of carbon dioxide in the body and causes the brain to wake up briefly during the night. Thus extending sleep in the morning.

Heart disease

Chronic fatigue is usually a sign of heart disease. It determines the heart’s inability to pump enough blood leading to poor circulation of blood throughout the body. This leads to deficient energy levels.

Thyroid.

Thyroid problems can adversely affect energy levels, sleep patterns, and state of mind. Hypothyroidism causes drowsiness, gloom, and weakness, while hyperthyroidism causes restlessness, peevishness, trouble sleeping off, and anxiety.

Effects Of Oversleeping

There are several ill-effects of oversleeping, and they can be outlined below.

Obesity

Adults Sleeping for more than 10 hours a night are more likely to gain weight and might also be obese.

Diabetes

Excessive sleep might lead to fluctuating glucose levels, which might lead to diabetes.

Back Pain

Sleeping for a longer duration might lead to back issues as you have been lying down on your back muscle for a more extended period.

Anxiety and depression

A reliable rest plan to keep up with chemical levels. Whenever we stay in bed longer than needed, our cortisol, adrenalin, and serotonin levels can become imbalanced, making it hard for us to oversee pressure and tension. After some time, this lopsidedness might prompt sadness.

Heart Diseases

Some recent studies have concluded that excessive sleep issues might increase the risk of a heart attack in adults leading to mortality.

Poor immune system

A more drawn-out rest length can impact the development of cytokines, the gathering of proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins that help the safe framework. Subsequently, more extended than ordinary sleep times can bring about a poor immune system.

How To Avoid Oversleeping

Oversleeping can be avoided following the following steps.

Changing sleep schedule

Changing your routine is crucial to overcoming an oversleeping habit. A new bedtime routine helps the body get into its normal sleep/wake cycle. Creating a sleep schedule will take some time, but it will be worth it in the long run. You can even use an alarm clock or smartphone app to set your bedtime reminder. By creating a routine, you can avoid oversleeping.

Formalizing healthy sleep habits

Try to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life, such as exercise. Using a sleep journal is basically a great way to track your sleep habits. You can also write down your activities before going to bed and how long you stayed awake. Keeping track of these activities will help you find the right sleeping time.

Avoid caffeine and blue light exposure

Caffeine is known to keep people awake, but in some cases adversely, it also makes people fall asleep; thus, it is better to avoid caffeine after 2:pm. Blue light exposure from LED and cell phones also hampers your sleep schedule leading to oversleeping during the daytime.

Conclusion

Oversleeping is a common problem for many people. Insufficient sleep can lead to many health risks, including heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Poor sleep may be detrimental to your physical health and lead to chronic sleep debt. The best way you overcome this problem is to make sure that you maintain a consistent sleep schedule. If you’re able to maintain a regular sleep routine, you’ll be able to get a full night’s rest.


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