Can You Get Too Much Sleep?

 

I am a big proponent of getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can cause multiple health issues. For more on that, click here. Just as it’s not good to get too little sleep, it’s also not good to sleep too much. There are links between too much sleep and obesity, depression, heart disease, and other conditions.

There is actually a condition called Hypersomnia where a person may need as much as 10-12 hours of sleep every night in order to feel truly rested. Hypersomnia typically begins in children as they develop their sleeping habits. For most teenagers and adults that oversleep, it is related to other medical conditions and not to hypersomnia.

Chicken or the Egg?

At this point in studies, it is still unclear as to if over-sleeping causes these conditions or if over-sleeping is a symptom of these conditions. Needing excessive sleep can be a sign of a bigger problem. If you find yourself regularly needing more than 8-9 hours of sleep every night in order to feel rested, give me a call at 817-261-3000.

 

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Daily LifeErin Shellenberger