Everybody needs sleep. You have probably heard how important a good night’s sleep is for good health more than a thousand times. But what about the effects of oversleeping? Can sleeping too much cause health problems? Yes, oversleeping can in fact have an adverse effect on your health. According to recent studies, there is a link between too much sleep and a number of medical conditions. Since it does not get as much publicity as insomnia, the majority of people are not aware that oversleeping can be a problem that adversely affects your body and health.
Here is a look at some medical conditions that can result from sleeping too much.
1. Diabetes
According to the WebMD, a recent study of 9,000 subjects in the United States revealed that there is a relationship between the risk of diabetes and sleep. It showed that the risk of having diabetes was 50% higher among people who slept for over 9 hours every night (as well as those who slept less than 5 hours. This does not mean that if you sleep for more than 9 hours, you will get diabetes but it can increase the possibility.
[ Read: How Cinnamon Helps In Diabetes ]
2. Obesity
According to the study, too much sleep could increase your chances of becoming obese over the course of 6 years. This rate of 21% did not change in people who ate a healthy diet and exercised on a regular basis. This means that even diet and exercise cannot and does not counteract the negative impact that too much sleep has on your body. If you want to watch your weight, you should definitely keep an eye on the clock too.
3. Headaches
Believe it or not, those who are prone to headaches suffer from this problem even more if they sleep too much. According to researchers, this is because oversleeping has an effect on neurotransmitters on the brain, including serotonin. It has been found that sleeping too much during the day and not getting much at night tends to result in more morning headaches. If you are prone to headaches, make sure that you get just the right amount of sleep.
4. Back Pain
In the “old days,” you were ordered to rest in bed if you had back pain. Nowadays, it is the total opposite because it has been found that too much time in bed can actually make the problem much worse. Instead, exercising and getting active is the most effective way to get relief from back pain. While aerobic exercises are not recommended when you are having back pain, there is nothing wrong with going on a brisk walk to ease the pain away.
[ Read: How To Apply Ice To Relieve Back Pain ]
5. Heart Disease
In a health study that involved 72,000 women, it was found that those who slept 9 to 11 hours every night increased their chance of having coronary heart disease by 38% than those who slept only for 7 to 8 hours a night. However, researchers have not found out the reason for this connection. If you want to keep heart disease away, try not to sleep more than 8 hours a night.
[ Read: How Yoga Helps To Prevent Heart Disease ]
6. Depression
You probably are aware that a high number of cases of depression are linked to insomnia. However, too much sleep can be linked to about 15% of depression cases. It has also been found that oversleeping can actually make your condition worse. In some cases, they say that depriving depression patients of sleep can actually help in the recovery process. However, keep in mind that you should talk to your doctor before you make any choices like this. Depression is a serious condition that should be treated by a trained and experienced professional.
[ Read: How Yoga Can Help Relieve Depression ]
7. Impaired Glucose Tolerance
Glucose tolerance is a term that refers to the ability of your body to process sugars. Associated with insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance is a risk factor for heart disease and type II diabetes. A Canadian study that looked at the lifestyle habits of 276 people over a period of 6 years found that people with either short or long sleep durations had a higher likelihood of developing impaired glucose intolerance and as mentioned earlier, diabetes during that span of time compared to those who slept normally.
8. Higher Risk of Stroke
In a recent University of Cambridge study, about 9,700 Europeans were looked at by researchers over a period of 11 years. People who slept more than 8 hours were 46% more likely to have suffered a stroke during the study period after comorbid factors were adjusted. The risk of stroke was four times higher in subjects who increased their sleep duration during compared to consistent sleepers. This suggests that longer sleep could be an important warning sign or symptom of stroke risk. Data from older surveys have also found a significant link between long sleep and risk of stroke. People who slept over 8 hours had a 50% higher risk of stroke than those who slept 6 to 8 hours.
9. Death
Although it is a scary thought, it has been found that death rates are higher in people who sleep more than 8 hours every night. Researchers believe that the linking factor could be the same as that of depression. More studies need to be conducted but this should be a reason to rethink your sleeping habits if you tend to oversleep.
If you find that you often sleep more than 8 hours a night or fall asleep unexpectedly during the day, you should visit a doctor or a sleep specialist and get a thorough check up. No matter what your reasons for oversleeping are, it is important that you start practicing good sleep habits as soon as possible, before your health is damaged. One of the best habits to follow is to make sure that you go to bed as well as wake up at the same time every day on both weekdays and weeknights. This is one of the surest ways to get the rest you need and make sure that you do not oversleep and have any adverse effect on your health.