Excessive Sleeping: What Does It Mean?05:15

Do you find that you are sleeping ten to twelve hours every night? If you are, you may actually be sleeping too much.

Excessive sleeping is often a sign that your body is not functioning as well as it should be. Sadhguru explains this concept with an example about cars. If your car had to sit in the garage for twelve hours before you drove it, you would probably all start taking the bus. You would assume that there is a problem with the car.

If you have to sleep for twelve hours to be awake for twelve hours, you can assume that there might be a problem with your body. But the good news is, there are several different possible solutions, such as changing your diet up a little bit. Below, you will find a list of the different things you can try if you are sleeping too much.

What Causes Excessive Sleeping?

Some people who oversleep actually have a disorder called hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is a condition where people are sleepy all day. They also typically find that naps do not help and that they sleep for really long periods of time every night. People with hypersomnia sometimes also deal with anxiety, memory issues, and low energy.

Of course, other medical conditions also cause sleep problems. For example, obstructive sleep apnea. People with obstructive sleep apnea will briefly stop breathing while sleeping, which causes them to wake up. Because of the lack of quality sleep, people with obstructive sleep apnea often sleep a lot more.

There are several other possible reasons why you may be sleeping. You may have a different medical condition such as depression, diabetes, obesity, headaches, and back pain. It may also be due to certain substances such as alcohol or certain medications. Finally, as Sadhguru said, you may be eating too much.

What is Oversleeping a Sign Of?

As mentioned before, oversleeping tends to indicate another problem. It may be a sign of one or more of any of the health problems described in the last section or of a mental health problem. Finally, it may be also mean that you need to correct an external issue like your diet or an uncomfortable mattress. The good news is that whatever the cause of the problem, there is likely a solution.

Is It Normal to Need 10-12 Hours of Sleep?

Excessive sleeping is a rather common problem. In fact, up to 40 percent of people sometimes exhibit symptoms of hypersomnia (the disorder primarily characterized by oversleeping.) However, just because oversleeping is common does not mean it is good for you. The good news is, there are several things that you can do to help you get your sleep problems under control.

Why Can I Not Stop Sleeping?

Once you start oversleeping, you may fall into a cycle that can be quite problematic for both your physical and mental health. When you oversleep, you actually often end up feeling sleepier. You will find an explanation of why that is in a later section. But, when you sleep more and end up feeling more tired, you will likely try to solve this problem by sleeping even longer. You can see how this cycle can be problematic.

How Do I Stop Oversleeping?

The good news about oversleeping is that there are many different possible solutions that you can try out.

Use a Different Mattress or Pillow

If you are uncomfortable while you are sleeping, you are not going to sleep well. If you struggle to get to sleep or stay asleep because you are uncomfortable, you will feel significantly more tired. Because you are so much more tired, you will find yourself sleeping longer to make up for it. However, as you will still be uncomfortable, the sleep will not be rejuvenating. Your bad mattress or pillow could be possible for your constant state of exhaustion.

Change Your Diet

Have you ever noticed that after eating a big meal you feel really tired? Well, this holds true for your regular diet too. The more you eat, the more sleep you are going to need. There are a couple of proposed reasons for this. One of which is that the more you eat, the more serotonin your brain produces. Serotonin is partly responsible for regulating your sleep schedule.

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A lot of people are actually overeating each day. Sadhguru recommends eating 30-40 percent less food a day. When you do so, you can still maintain your weight and get all the nutrients you need, but you will find that you require significantly less sleep.

Mental and Emotional Work

If you are overly anxious or deal with symptoms of depression, you will likely find that you both do not get good sleep and end up sleeping too much. Working on your mental and emotional help will actually end up helping your sleep. There are lots of different things that you could try. You can try yoga, journaling, meditation, etc. You could also try counseling or even get medication if the problems warrant it.

Change Your Drinking Habits

Alcohol (and other substances, including some drugs) can prevent you from getting to REM sleep, which is the important sleep stage where your body is restored. If you can’t reach REM sleep, you will end up feeling much more tired and will likely end up sleeping more to make up for it. If you have trouble sleeping, you may want to consider decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink or stop drinking before bed altogether.

Does Sleeping too Much Increase Weight?

Excessive sleeping can cause you to gain too much weight. Studies have actually shown that people who have slept nine or more hours are actually significantly more likely to become overweight. When you are asleep, you are burning significantly fewer calories. If you eat the same amount despite spending more time sleeping, you will start to notice that you are putting on weight.

Why Do I Feel Sleepy Even After Sleeping for 8 Hours?

There are a couple of reasons why you might still be sleepy after getting the “recommended” eight hours of sleep. First, it could be because the sleep you are getting is not good quality sleep. You may be restless, not get any deep sleep, or wake up a lot through the night. If your sleep quality is poor, it does not matter how much sleep you get; you will end up tired.

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It may also be because eight hours of sleep is too much sleep for you. The recommendation for eight hours of sleep is an average amount that people need and therefore does not actually apply to everyone. Many adults need less than eight hours of sleep a night. If you are sleeping too much, you will end up feeling drowsier than you want.

Is It Unhealthy for an Elderly Parent to Sleep All Day?

Elderly people tend to sleep more than other people, but do they actually need it? Research has shown that older adults actually do not need any more sleep than younger adults. This means that if your elderly parent is sleeping all day every day, it may be a sign of a bigger health problem. You should definitely be paying attention to it.

It may be a sign of a sleep disorder or various other health problems. There has even been evidence that oversleeping can be a sign of memory problems in older adults. No matter what, if you notice that your elderly parent is sleeping all day, you may want to consider bringing it up with the doctor.

What Happens to Your Body When You Sleep too Much?

There are several different problematic effects that can occur when you sleep too much. First, you may be more likely to develop several different health conditions. Studies have shown that if you sleep more than eight hours a night, you are significantly more likely to die of heart disease. Oversleeping has also been shown to raise your blood sugar levels which can lead to diabetes.

There are also possible mental problems that can occur when you start to oversleep. First, you may end up having memory or cognitive problem. This means that you may struggle to think clearly during the day. You may also develop different emotional or mood problems, including anxiety or depression.

Measurement is the Key to Success

If you are trying to figure out how much you are sleeping and whether or not that sleep is quality sleep, it is a good idea to try to use a sleep tracker. It will also allow you to figure out which solutions work better for you. With a sleep tracker, you will be able to see whether decreasing your stress, changing your diet, or getting a new pillow is improving your quality of sleep.

Try the Fitbit Charge 4 (Sleep Tracker)

In conclusion, sleeping too much can be just as problematic as not getting enough sleep. If you are sleeping ten, twelve, or more hours, something is wrong, and it is important that you figure out what change you need to make, whether that be a new pillow or a complete diet change.