In an era defined by continuous movement and intense agility, finding time to take adequate rest has indeed become a luxury. Most people have begun to consistently alter their natural sleeping patterns in order to meet the needs of an extremely demanding lifestyle. As a result, sleep-related disorders, health-based risks and other similar ailments have started to witness an incessant rise.
So much so, that at present about 93% of Indians are considered to be highly sleep deprived!
However, despite the restorative abilities associated with a good night’s sleep, venturing into the world of seamless slumber for a longer than usual time, might not always be in your best interest. Quite like insomnia, oversleeping too can lead to a variety of health hazards which have the potential to cast a dangerous, long-term impact! While in some cases, it can directly cause physical or psychological illnesses, in other cases, it can actually prove to be an underlying symptom of another, undetected malady.
Nonetheless, before you find out how oversleeping can affect the state of your overall health, you must be aware of whether your current sleeping cycle is commensurate with the ideal scientific standards.
What Is The Ideal Sleeping Time?
2% of people across the world are naturally long sleepers. They tend to sleep for more than 9 hours as their bodies consume this time for undertaking complete restoration and repair. But when it comes to the remaining 98%, sleeping for a time span of 7–9 hours is considered to be quite sufficient. This is because, on average, human bodies need about 7–9 hours for becoming fully relaxed and rejuvenated.
As per the National sleep foundation, the ideal sleeping duration for different age groups is classified under the following categories:
Age
0 to 3- 14 to 17 hours every day
4 to 11 months- 12 to 15 hours every day
1 to 2 years- 11 to 14 hours every day
3 to 5 years- 10 to 13 hours every day
6 to 13 years- 9 to 11 hours every day
14 to 17 years- 8 to 10 hours every day
18 to 25 years- 7 to 9 hours every day
26 to 64 years- 7 to 9 hours every day
65 & above- 7 to 8 hours every day
Therefore, if you are sleeping for a period longer than the aforementioned time and are still feeling un-rested, under-rested or exhausted, you might have fallen victim to a classic case of oversleeping.
What Are The Health Risks Of Oversleeping?
According to a number of established researchers, aligning your rest-activity patterns with the natural circadian rhythms can easily help you overcome all types of sleeping disorders. Not only do you get to find the best time to sleep, but you are also enabled to optimise your general well-being.
On the other hand, if you are bitten by the bug of oversleeping, you are instantly exposed to the risks of:
Increased inflammations
Most scientists link chronic inflammation to lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes. However, a recent study has found that longer sleep durations have the capability of significantly increasing the risk of inflammation. As per this report, if a normal, healthy adult sleeps for a period greater than 7–9 hours, his/her cytokine (CRP) level is bound to rise by more than 8%. This enhanced CRP level causes the number of C-reactive proteins to multiply, thereby escalating the threat of chronic inflammation.
Enhanced Pain Levels
The duration and quality of your sleep has a direct impact on the amount of pain you experience. For instance, if you are oversleeping on a mattress that does not fully support your body posture, you will end up having agonising back pain. This pain will further be worsened if your blood flow is hampered due to an uneven distribution of body weight. Similarly, staying in bed for a time span beyond the general norm can also give you acute headaches. These enhanced pain levels will ultimately lead to the lowering of your total productivity.
Reduced Fertility
A 2013 research has hypothesised that oversleeping can result in reduced levels of fertility. This research has found that 43% of women who slept for more than 9 hours were unable to conceive in time. This was primarily because the stimulation, production and release of their follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), luteinising hormones (LH), progesterone, and estrogen were severely reduced. Consequently, they were unable to keep up with their circadian rhythms, thus experiencing reduced fertility rates.
Sudden Weight Gain
Oversleeping has been known to contribute, in large measures, towards an increase in appetite. It causes hunger for calorie-dense, carbohydrate-rich foods to take root, which in turn, become the major reason for sudden weight gain. Not being able to find the best time to sleep also leads to continuous exhaustion, which reduces physical activity. When coupled with an impaired release of ghrelin and leptin — the two hormones regulating hunger — the recipe for obesity due to oversleeping is complete!
Impaired Mental Health
Sleeping for an appropriate amount of time can work wonders for your mental health. It can help clear out needless waste, get rid of unwanted by-products and balance the emission of neurotransmitters while repairing and resetting every bodily system. Oversleeping, on the contrary, can cast a grave shadow on your mental framework. Owing to its ability to decrease cognition and enhance degeneration, oversleeping can prove to be both — a cause and a symptom of depression. In fact, it has been found that approximately 15% of people facing critical mental health issues tend to oversleep!
High Coronary Risk
Last but not least, oversleeping heightens your chances of developing coronary diseases. Improper sleeping patterns can induce ailments like angina, chest pains, sleep apnea, and body aches. They can also hamper the smooth movement of blood which, by exerting constant pressure against the arterial walls, can amplify your risk of contracting heart afflictions. In the longer run, such problems can lower your oxygen levels, cause brain impairment and eventually lead to a stroke.
Is There A Way To Prevent Oversleeping?
Whether you are oversleeping due to sleep fragmentation, improper immune function, photo-periodic abnormality or sheer fatigue — there are a couple of ways by which you can prevent the aftereffects of this menace. These include:
- Try to follow the natural circadian rhythms, irrespective of how tired you are. Adhere to the normal activity-rest schedule, even on weekends.
- Figure out what is the best time to sleep for you. Stick to it despite the circumstances. Make sure you get to bed at the same time every day.
- Avoid carrying gadgets of any sort to your bedroom. Exposing your eyes to a TV, mobile phone, or laptop can prevent your brain from shutting down.
- Use a good quality mattress which can adequately support your body while you gain a deep and restful sleep.
- Leave the curtains open before you sleep. This will ensure that the moment sunlight begins to seep in, you will be up on your feet.
- Do not take long naps in the afternoon. If need be, sleep for about half an hour. Anything more than this will result in oversleeping.
- Try to avoid consuming any caffeine-based substances before you drift off to sleep. Caffeine causes partial insomnia, which has the potential to damage your sleeping pattern.
- Eat a balanced diet. Make sure that you include a balanced proportion of green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, lean proteins, grains & nuts in your food.
- Engage in regular and frequent exercise. It can keep all your hormonal, mental and physical functions in proper order.
- Ensure that your bedroom is set up to give you the highest degree of comfort. Reduce all noises and maintain a normal temperature.
By making these small changes, you won’t just be able to rest well, but you will also be able to sleep better.
