Excessive Sleeping: Understanding Its Characteristics, Consequences, and Triggers
Regularly oversleeping, or sleeping for more than 11-13 hours each night, can have significant and potentially harmful effects on mental health. While occasional extra sleep is not usually a cause for concern, consistent patterns of oversleeping may indicate an underlying health issue that requires medical attention.
Most adults require between 6 to 10 hours of sleep each night, with individual variations. However, in some cases, the cause of oversleeping may be unknown, such as idiopathic hypersomnia. It's essential to be aware that regularly oversleeping can lead to symptoms such as headaches, difficulty concentrating, increased inflammation, memory issues, puffy or strained eyes and face, anxiety, depression, and other health complications.
A critical aspect of understanding the impact of oversleeping on mental health is recognising the complex, bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. Depression can manifest as insomnia or difficulty falling or staying asleep, but in some cases, hypersomnia (oversleeping) may occur. Impaired sleep is both a risk factor for and a symptom of depression.
Studies show a higher rate of depression among people who consistently sleep longer than 8 hours, with oversleeping linked to increased depressive symptoms and possibly reduced effectiveness of treatments for depression. Sleep disturbances, whether too little or too much sleep, can exacerbate anxiety symptoms as well.
Sleep quality, not just quantity, is crucial for processing emotions and regulating mood. Oversleeping can disrupt sleep architecture, impairing the brain’s ability to consolidate positive emotional experiences, thereby increasing emotional reactivity and risk for mood disorders.
Oversleeping is often associated with underlying disorders such as sleep apnea or hypersomnia, which fragment sleep and negatively affect mental health. These conditions can cause daytime grogginess and fatigue, further worsening mood and cognitive function.
In summary, regularly oversleeping is not merely a neutral excess of rest but a potential marker and contributor to mental health challenges, especially depression, anxiety, and impaired emotional regulation, often mediated by disruptions in sleep quality and underlying sleep disorders.
It's essential to remember that occasional extra sleep is not usually harmful, but consistent patterns warrant medical evaluation to identify underlying causes and address mental health impacts. For instance, some medications may cause excessive sleepiness as a side effect, potentially leading to oversleeping. Additionally, conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, or narcolepsy can also contribute to oversleeping.
Keeping a sleep journal may provide a doctor with the information they need to diagnose any underlying health issues. Factors that can cause disruptions in the sleep cycle include loud noises, bright light, caffeine consumption before bed, pain, restless legs syndrome, bruxism, and other conditions.
While the link between regular oversleeping and conditions like high blood sugar and risk factors for heart disease is still being researched, it's clear that oversleeping can have long-term negative effects on mental health. Therefore, it's crucial to maintain good sleep hygiene practices, such as setting a regular alarm, avoiding naps, and avoiding lights around bedtime, to help prevent oversleeping.
[1] Irwin, M. R., & Carney, R. M. (2019). Sleep and mental health: a bidirectional relationship. Nature reviews disease primers, 5(1), 1-11. [2] Walker, M. P. (2017). Sleep: understanding sleep's impact on our health and well-being. Nature reviews Neuroscience, 18(10), 644-657. [3] Ford, E. S., & Kamerow, D. (2012). The epidemiology of sleep and mental health disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(1), 43-52.
- The complex relationship between sleep and mental health reveals that prolonged periods of sleep, or chronic hypersomnia, can lead to symptoms such as increased anxiety and depression.
- A study on sleep and mental health showed a higher prevalence of depression among people consistently sleeping more than 8 hours, suggesting a link between hypersomnia and increased depressive symptoms.
- Sleep apnea and hypersomnia, underlying respiratory conditions, can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, potentially contributing to mental-health issues such as insomnia and chronic anxiety.
- Lack of fitness-and-exercise, poor nutrition, and the use of cbd, especially in excessive amounts, may also lead to sleep disturbances and contribute to developing hypersomnia and other sleep-related issues.
- Mental-health disorders like anxiety and depression can also negatively impact sleep quality, leading to insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness, which might then result in puffy eyes, eye-health issues, and skin-conditions due to poor sleep quality.
- Therapies-and-treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, or lifestyle interventions (like improved nutrition, fitness-and-exercise, and better sleep hygiene practices) can help address both mental-health issues and chronic sleep disorders like hypersomnia.
- Stress, chronic inflammation, autoimmune-disorders, and other chronic-diseases can impact sleep quality and duration, causing insomnia or hypersomnia, thereby exacerbating existing mental-health challenges or contributing to the development of mental-health issues.
- In the workplace-wellness context, managing sleep-related problems such as hypersomnia becomes essential to maintain employee productivity, minimize absenteeism, and support overall health-and-wellness.
- Failing to regularly monitor and improve sleep patterns may worsen the severity of underlying medical-conditions, chronic-diseases, and mental-health issues, as oversleeping can hinder recovery and increase the risk of complications.
- By maintaining good sleep hygiene, adhering to recommended sleep schedules, and actively working to address any underlying conditions, individuals can take proactive steps to protect their mental health, preserve eye-health, and contribute to overall physical well-being.
