How to Tell You Are Sleeping Too Much
© Aleksandar Cvetanovic
Most people sleep not enough hours most nights, and it messes a lot with their moods, coordination, general health and productivity. What about those who sleep too much? Oversleeping too has its effects such as more pain and inflammation, depression, diabetes, heart disease, among others. An averages night sleep is at least seven hours and for oversleeping it is more than ten hours. Therefore, if you find yourself sleeping up past ten hours, it should be a sign of concern. So, visit a doctor, check Wayfair reviewers to find the best mattress to change up how your bed feels, and improve your sleep hygiene. Below are a few signs to watch out for to know if your sleeping too much.
You wake up fatigued
During weekends, most people feel the temptation to award themselves a ten-hour snooze. However, if you still feel tired after taking hours of shuteye, take note. Adequate sleep at night should have you feeling relaxed and refreshed in the morning.
However, if after eight-plus hours of sleep and you feel exhausted, you are overdoing it. Plus, you mess with your natural 24-hour clock rhythm, and you will struggle to get back the natural rhythm. If it is an ongoing issue, talk to your doctor to understand it and get a solution for it.
You are getting headaches
Sleeping too much reduces your serotonin levels as it messes with your brain’s neurotransmitters causing headaches. Also, you can experience muscle pain or a stiff neck if you sleep for long hours. Sleep doctors also note that the fact you are lying down for long can result in headaches too. Sleeping too long causes the neck muscles to get tight and causes headaches at the base of your skull and across the forehead. Therefore, limit the sleep you get if you experience head pain and you are sleeping enough. Ease the pain with an ice pack, lavender oil, or ginger tea, and talk to your doctor as well.
You are depressed
It is yet to be clear if depression is a symptom of oversleeping or vice versa. Depression can be disruptive to your day-to-day life, and it can be a challenge to get up and face the day, but if you sleep too much and feel lethargic, losing interest in your relationships, hobbies, job, and other things.
You are making the mistake of confusing a depressive episode for exhaustion. According to research, half of the adults under the age of 30 with depression experience oversleeping. For this reason, if you find you have additional symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, brain fog, it is best to consult a professional to get the right help.
Your memory starts to go
Are you already getting the brain fuzzy? If yes, this is a common sign of oversleeping. Researchers found when you oversleep, you age your brain’s cognitive abilities by two years, and as you grow older, it gets worse. Unfortunately, the feeling of not feeling as sharp happens no matter the number of hours you put to sleep. Only that with oversleeping, it is worse. However, sometimes this can be due to an underlying health condition that hinders you from getting quality sleep. It is normal to experience a brain fog if you have not had enough sleep. Consider it a serious sign if you oversleep and you cannot recall where you parked your car.
You feel pain
As mentioned before, sleeping too much causes pain, especially in your neck or back, if spending time lying in bed is not working for you in the long run. Some studies show a correlation between pain and inflammation and oversleeping. If you have a condition causing you pain, it is different from the pain you get lying in bed for long hours.
Oversleeping is a possible sign you are having problems with chronic inflammation, and you need to visit the doctor for a checkup. Sleeping too much can indicate various illnesses, such as autoimmune disorders, among other inflammatory pain illnesses. Also, the pain can disrupt sleep quality making you need more sleep. Thus, explore options with your sleep doctor, for it can be a harmful sleep cycle.