Oversleeping? Why Too Much Sleep is Actually Bad For You!

For the most part, average people tend to understand the value of a good night’s rest; but some folks never quite consider the side effects of oversleeping.  In reality, sleeping too much could actually be bad in several ways.

Interestingly, spending too much of your time snoozing can cause serious health problems if it is done for prolonged periods of time.  In order to maintain a healthy sleep pattern and optimize your overall wellbeing, you will need to understand why too much sleep is actually bad for you.

How Much Sleep should you be Getting?

The amount of sleep that is recommended for a person typically varies based on age, activity level, and health.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult person needs to sleep for only about 7 to 9 hours per night.  Of course, the younger we are the more we need to snooze; but as we grow older we should be spending more of our time awake and less of it snuggled up catching Z’s.  Sleeping “like a newborn baby” as a grownup is a sure sign of negative consequences in the future.

What Factors Affect your Desire to Sleep?

Sometimes just knowing that too much sleep is bad for you is not enough to stop someone from doing it anyway.  Often, we feel the need to sleep even when we got sufficient rest during the night.

According to WebMD, there are two main factors that affect a person’s desire to sleep more than is recommended – depression and low socioeconomic status.  Some researchers are even linking those factors with the negative health effects observed in those who often oversleep.

In addition to personal and psychological reasons behind sleeping too much, those who have certain sleep disorders may find themselves sleepy when they should be fully alert.

Sufferers of hypersomnia and obstructive sleep apnea tend to have issues staying awake as well.  These medical disorders should be discussed with your health care professional before they get out of hand.  Be sure to ask your doctor how much sleep you should be getting, as there is no magic number that works for every person.

Health Risks Associated with sleeping too much

When you do not get enough sleep you might start to feel the side effects throughout the day.  The same can be said for those who sleep too much, except the side effects for this seem to resound throughout a lifetime instead.

Those who find themselves sleeping for too long might eventually have to deal with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, and frequent headaches.  Finding out how much sleep you should be getting and then sticking with a routine is a great way to establish a healthy foundation for your mind, body, and spirit.

Finding out how much sleep you should be getting and then sticking with a routine is a great way to establish a healthy foundation for your mind, body, and spirit.

Immediate Effects of too much Sleep on the Brain and Body

Because your brain and body are such robust mechanisms, many people do not think about just how sensitive those systems really are.  You sleep at night for a reason, but you awake in the morning for another.

Getting too much sleep is actually bad for you because it has a negative influence on the neurotransmitters within your brain.  Indeed, vital serotonin levels need to be kept balanced at all times in order to avoid things like headaches, depression, anxiety, and memory loss.

Realizing that getting too much sleep can actually be bad for you is a great way to find and maintain balance in your life.  When you spend too much of your time snoozing, you could be losing – and it will be more than opportunities, it will be your health.