Who doesn’t like to be back in the confines of their warm bed after a long day at work? Amidst long work hours and lack of personal time, people have started to belittle the importance of a good night’s sleep, often substituting those 6-8 hours with something career related. But, exceptions are everywhere. There are many people out there who like to spend whatever time they get by sleeping, often spending their weekends easing out their weekly stress by being in their bed. We all know that sleeping is important, but can one get too much sleep?
How Much Sleep Is too Much?
The multiple variations of recommended sleeping hours by different sites must have made you wonder about which schedule to stick to. After conducting a fresh study, National Sleep Foundations have come up with a new list of Sleep Duration Recommendations for every age-group. No matter which age group you are, if you sleep more hours than the upper limit displayed in the Not Recommended column in the chart below, then you are sleeping too much.
|
Age |
Recommended |
May Be Appropriate |
Not Recommended |
|
0-3 months |
14-17 hours |
11-13 hours 18-19 hours |
Less than 11 hours More than 19 hours |
|
4-11 months |
12-15 hours |
10-11 hours 16-18 hours |
Less than 10 hours More than 18 hours |
|
1-2 years |
11-14 hours |
9-10 hours 15-16 hours |
Less than 9 hours More than 16 hours |
|
3-5 years |
10-13 hours |
8-9 hours 14 hours |
Less than 8 hours More than 14 hours |
|
6-13 years |
9-11 hours |
7-8 hours 12 hours |
Less than 7 hours More than 12 hours |
|
14-17 years |
8-10 hours |
7 hours 11 hours |
Less than 7 hours More than 11 hours |
|
18-25 years |
7-9 hours |
6 hours 10-11 hours |
Less than 6 hours More than 11 hours |
|
26-64 years |
7-9 hours |
6 hours 10 hours |
Less than 6 hours More than 10 hours |
What Happens If You Sleep Too Much?
Did you know that oversleeping can cause many health related problems? But exactly how serious are these troubles? Let’s have a look.
1. Diabetes
It might be absurd to think about the direct relation between sleeping and diabetes, but you will be surprised to know that according to a study conducted on almost 9,000 people of US concluded that people who sleep for more than 9 hours on daily basis had a 50% risk of falling prey to diabetes when compared to people who take in 7 hours of sleep. This relationship remains intact for those who under-sleep (less than 6 hours). A physiological link couldn’t be drawn out, but it indicated that relative underlying medical problems might increase the chances of diabetes. Now, you need to keep a tab on how much sleep is too much to have a better control over your sugar levels.
2. Obesity
This goes without saying that being in the same pose for several hours will make you gain a lot of weight. Another US study shows that people sleeping for more than nine to ten hours daily are 21% higher on the risk of getting obese over a period of six years than those who take adequate sleep.
3. Headaches
One sleeps to get relief from stress but did you know that sleeping more than usual can give you headaches? Many researchers have found out that oversleeping has an adverse effect on particular neurotransmitters in your brain that includes serotonin which, as a result, can lead to an acute headache.
4. Back Pain
Contrary to popular belief, resting too much can get you sick. So, try and avoid going to your beloved bed every time you feel tired as it will make your health condition worse than it already was. If you suffer from back pain, spend some time exercising and it will surely help you.
5. Depression
Another interesting study links depression to oversleeping, saying that roughly 15% of the people that are depressed sleep too much, hence making their depression worse.
6. Heart Disease
Sleeping too much can make you fall into the trap of coronary heart disease. According to inferences drawn by Nurses' Health Study, which involved 72,000 women concluded those who took nine to eleven hours in a night had 38% more chance to have a heart disease than women who followed a normal routine.
7. Death
It might be a little too far-fetched to think so, but studies have found out people who oversleep have higher death rates when compared with others, linking this phenomenon to depression and other mental troubles.
So, now when you know how much sleep is too much and the severity of excessive sleep, try limiting your sleep hours in order to live a healthy and prolonged life.
How to Overcome Excessive Sleeping
Now, to answer the obvious question about controlling sleep hours, here are a few good points that you can easily adhere to.
1. Follow a Schedule
Following a definite schedule always helps in keeping one under limits. Schedule when to get to bed and get up, and avoid being reckless about routines. Slowly and steadily, your body will get used to the set hours.
2. Arrange Exercise Hours Wisely
You might think that getting tired due to excessive workout will help you sleep better. In the contrary, exercising helps stimulate body blood flow which can lead to loss of sleep. Avoid working out three hours before your set bedtime.
3. Take a Refreshing Shower
Showering just after getting up will get your mood up. You will feel less tired and jollier just after a good round of hot shower. For making things interesting and refreshing, you can always make use of your favourite scented soap.
4. Motivate Yourself
Instead of asking how much sleep is too much and being worrisome, you can find ways to motivate yourself to get up early and shorten your sleep time. Try and think about certain things to look forward in the morning – a favourite TV program, your favourite breakfast or anything of your liking. Self-motivation will help you get up without a second thought, even if you aren’t a morning person by nature.