Can Too Much Sleep Affect Your Health?

Too much sleep — as well as not enough sleep —

raises the risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and obesity in adults age 45 and older

. Sleeping too much puts you at greater risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes than sleeping too little.

Why am I sleeping 12 hours a day?

In extreme cases,

a person with hypersomnia

might sleep soundly at night for 12 hours or more, but still feel the need to nap during the day. Sleeping and napping may not help, and the mind may remain foggy with drowsiness.

Is it OK to sleep 12 hours?

“Long sleepers” are people who regularly sleep more than the average person their age. As adults, their nightly length of sleep tends to be 10 to 12 hours.

This sleep is very normal and of a good quality

. It is simply much longer than most people because of their natural biological clock.

How many hours is too much sleep?

And while sleep deprivation is a widespread problem (considering all the aforementioned health functions of sleep), sleeping too much can be cause for concern as well. The Sleep Foundation defines oversleeping as sleeping

more than nine hours in a 24-hour period

.

Why do I love sleeping so much?

“If you are obsessed with sleeping or have an intense desire to stay in bed,

you could be suffering from a condition called clinomania

. That doesn't mean that there aren't people who can experience symptoms similar to addiction and even withdrawal in association with sleep, or lack thereof.”

Can you be addicted to sleep?

“

Sleep addiction is not a medically recognized condition

,” he says. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, people with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences. Sleep is a biological function and isn't fundamentally harmful.

Is oversleeping a symptom of depression?

It's important to remember that

oversleeping is a possible symptom of depression

and that oversleeping doesn't cause depression. But it can exacerbate and worsen depression symptoms, Dr. Drerup explains. “If someone's oversleeping, they may wake up and feel like they've missed out on the day,” she says.

What is long sleeper syndrome?

Long sleeping is

an uncommon sleep finding or disorder characterized by the body's inclination to remain asleep for longer periods of time than would otherwise be deemed typical

. This often results in 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night for people with the disorder.

Is ten hours of sleep too much?

How Much Sleep Is Too Much? Sleep needs can vary from person to person, but in general, experts recommend that healthy adults get an average of 7 to 9 hours per night of shuteye.

If you regularly need more than 8 or 9 hours of sleep per night to feel rested, it might be a sign of an underlying problem

, Polotsky says.

Can oversleeping make you tired?

Too little or too much sleep can increase your perception of fatigue

. And even if you get enough hours of sleep, you might find yourself dragging the next day if that sleep was interrupted by frequent awakenings or was of poor quality.

Is sleeping naked better for your health?

Sleeping naked together might improve your rest by reducing your stress and anxiety levels

. Skin-to-skin contact between adults can increase levels of oxytocin, the “love hormone”. That increased oxytocin can help to reduce your stress levels.

How do you know if you're sleeping too much?

Oversleeping is variably defined as sleeping for more than eight to 10 hours a day. Although it may be appropriate to temporarily sleep for long periods during illness

¹⁷

or after a period of sleep deprivation

¹⁸

, sleeping more than necessary may cause symptoms such as:

Daytime sleepiness

.

Impaired daytime functioning

.

Do long sleepers live longer?

There was a 65% higher death rate for people who regularly slept less than 5 hours on all nights

, compared with people who regularly slept 6 to 7 hours per night. There was a 25% higher death rate for people who averaged 8 hours or more of sleep on all nights.

Does oversleeping cause weight gain?

Oversleeping can be harmful, too

Research suggests there's a link between too much sleep and weight gain

. As with too little sleep, there is a greater risk of obesity among people who sleep too much.

Why do I sleep 16 hours a day?

Oversleeping is called hypersomnia or “long sleeping.”

This condition affects about 2 percent of people. People with hypersomnia might require as many as 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night to feel their best.

Is it OK to be a long sleeper?

There is nothing wrong with long sleepers

; they just need more sleep than is normally required for most people. During the week, a long sleeper usually needs to sleep less in order to perform daily tasks like going to a job or school. If they don't get enough sleep, they will feel tired.

Why do I sleep 15 hours a day?

Idiopathic Hypersomnia

This sleep disorder is characterized by difficulty waking

¹³

, excessive sleepiness, and the inability to feel rested after sleeping at night or napping during the day. With this disorder, you may sleep as much as 14 to 18 hours a day.

How long can a person sleep without waking up?

The easy experimental answer to this question is

264 hours (about 11 days)

. In 1965, Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old high school student, set this apparent world-record for a science fair. Several other normal research subjects have remained awake for eight to 10 days in carefully monitored experiments.