How Much Sleep Is Too Much?
The amount of sleep a person needs is different for each individual.
It is dependent on a variety of factors.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
Activity Level
The more active the person is, the more sleep they will need.
Sleep allows time for the body to recover from physical exertion.
Health
When a person is coping with health issues, they will need more sleep.
This applies to short-term illnesses such as the fluand long-term chronic conditions, such as diabetes.
Causes
There are several reasons why a person might be sleeping too much.
Hypersomnia
This is the medical term for sleeping too much and for excessive daytime sleepiness.
Sleepiness with hypersomnia cannot be resolved by napping.
Further, hypersomnia causes a person to sleep for unusually long periods at night.
Hypersomnia also causes low energy, memory problems, and anxiety.
People withnarcolepsyhave excessive daytime sleepiness and may fall asleep during the day and during normal activities such as driving.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This sleep disorder causes people to stop breathing for brief periods.
It can also cause an increased need for sleep because it disrupts the natural sleep cycle.
Depression
Depressionis one of the most common reasons a person may sleep too much.
Being depressed causes a person to be tired all the time and have no energy.
Thus, depressed people need to sleep more.
Medications
Certain medications to treat health conditions may make a person feel tired and drowsy often.
Therefore, they will want to sleep moreoftentimes to what is considered excessive.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol, regardless of how much, can promote sleep disorders.
This includes sleep apnea and snoring.
It is also known for causing sleep disturbances, especially with sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness.
Most causes of sleeping too much are temporary.
Related Medical Problems
Sleeping too much can be just as damaging as sleeping too little.
Sleeping too much can put a person at risk for a number of health conditions.
Diabetes
Sleeping too much can raise blood sugar and increase the risk fortype 2 diabetes.
Depression and sleep tend to be intertwined.
Depression can make a person sleep longer.
In turn, sleeping longer can perpetuate a person’s depressed state.
Pain
When people who are prone toheadachessleep too much, they will experience more head pain.
Researchers think this happens because excessive sleep triggers certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
Spending too much time in bed can lead to feeling achy, especially for people with back problems.
People who have pain also suffer from poor sleep, which makes them want to sleep longer.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol too close to bedtime.
Regular exercise can improve sleep quality, too.
Lastly, confirm your bedroom is comfortable and free of distractions.
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