Oversleeping: Health Risks ,Causes, and .....

While getting a good night’s sleep is essential for optimal health, did you know that getting too much sleep can cause health problems as well? There are health conditions that cause a person to sleep far too much. If you frequently sleep too much, you may have a sleep disorder known as hypersomnia.

Too Much Sleep Causes

There are several reasons why people sleep too much.

Sleep apnea – this is a sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing during sleep. The normal sleep pattern can be disturbed as many as hundreds of times a night. This amount of inadequate sleep leads to an increased sleepiness during the day as they are not getting enough quality sleep at night.

Sleep disorders – there are a number of sleep disorders that keep people from sleeping well at night such as snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea or RLS. These sleep disorders cause people to sleep later in the morning once they finally get to sleep because the disorder interrupted sleep during the night.

Depression – depression plays a large role in sleeping too much. Many people who are depressed feel tired all of the time, and because they are listless and have no energy, they tend to sleep far too much.

Medications – medications that you have been prescribed to treat another disorder or condition may make you drowsy and feel the need to sleep all the time.

Several of the causes of excessive sleeping are temporary, and most can be fixed by making simple lifestyle changes, such as keeping a regular schedule, eating right and getting enough exercise.

Too Much Sleep Effects

Just like not getting enough sleep, getting too much sleep can cause a number of health problems and can also be the cause of many health conditions.

Headaches – Many people who sleep too much find that they experience more headaches than normal, and they actually feel more tired than they would had they had less sleep.

High blood pressure – People who get too much sleep are at risk for high blood pressure.

Death – Studies have even shown that those who get too much sleep have a higher death rate

Obesity – Getting too much sleep can cause people to be less energetic. Not getting enough exercise during the day can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Poor dietary habits – Sleeping excessively can also cause people to have a poor diet because they are often in a hurry, eating on the run or eating at odd hours of the day.

Heart disease – Research has shown that those who sleep too much are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Diabetes – Studies have shown that people who slept more than nine hours each night had a higher risk of diabetes than those who slept for just seven hours per night.

Getting too much sleep is just problematic as not getting enough sleep. Both can cause numerous health conditions and need to be treated so that you can resume a normal pattern of sleep and reap the benefits of a good, healthy night’s sleep each night.