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The Effects of Oversleeping
A good night’s sleep is essential in order to stay healthy and feel energetic during the day. However, whilst many people are aware that a lack of sleep can put them at risk for certain health conditions, few realise that oversleeping can cause physical problems. Although researchers are, as yet, still unsure why too much sleep is problematic, they have discovered that those who sleep more than the recommended seven or eight hours per day suffer from more illnesses.
Cardiovascular disease:
A study conducted by the Warwick Medical School eight years ago found that too much sleep appears to be connected with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The participants in the study who slept for more than seven hours each night were found to be more than twice as likely to die within ten to fifteen years from heart disease than those who continued to sleep for seven hours every night.
Diabetes:
It has also been discovered that people who sleep for nine hours or more each night are 50 percent more likely to develop diabetes. Although scientists are still unsure as to why this risk increases so dramatically, they have theorised that there may be underlying illnesses that cause people to oversleep and make them more prone to developing diabetes.
Grogginess:
Most people are familiar with the tired, groggy feeling that comes with excessive amounts of sleep. A lot of people find that they feel this way when they have slept in on the weekends, which is something they had been looking forward to all week. This is down to the fact that a disruption to your normal sleeping pattern can upset your body’s natural rhythms.
Other issues:
Oversleeping is associated with many other issues as well, including increased risk of depression, back pain and headaches. It is thought by some researchers that the link between depression, headaches and oversleeping may be explained by the effect that too much sleep has on the neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly serotonin, an important component, which is known to have an impact on people’s emotional and physical well being.
The back pain is thought to be the result of the effect of putting pressure on your back by lying down on it for such a long period of time; this could be alleviated by purchasing good quality assembled bedroom furniture and a supportive mattress.
People who are feeling depressed may want to sleep more. However, this in turn leads to them feeling even more depressed and as such, simply exacerbates the problem. Likewise, those who suffer from chronic headaches or back pain might want to sleep a lot more than usual, but excessive sleep will really only worsen the issue.
Obesity:
Sleeping too much may have a detrimental effect on your weight as well. A study conducted recently found that people who slept more than nine or ten hours per night on a regular basis were more than 20% more likely to become overweight over the course of five years than those who slept for seven or eight hours. The association between obesity and oversleeping remained the same even when the participants’ exercise levels and food intake were taken into account.