Excessive Sleeping

We frequently hear about the risks of inadequate sleep, late nights, and early mornings. However, oversleeping is a habit that can worsen your health, even while these behaviors can potentially have severe side effects.  Understanding how to stop oversleeping (and putting those ideas into practice) can transform the course of your entire day, as well as your health.

How to Determine If You Sleep Too Much

It would be best if you watched out for indicators to detect whether you could be sleeping too much, but you can also use a chart to estimate how much sleep you need for your age. These symptoms include memory troubles, productivity concerns, despair, anxiety, or persistent weariness. Suppose you believe you are eating healthily and exercising regularly but are still experiencing these symptoms. In that case, changing your sleep schedule or visiting the doctor for a checkup is a good idea.

Do You Need much Sleep?

If there were a set amount of sleep that each person must get, it would be good. However, while there are specific broad rules you can go by, your lifestyle, chronotype, general health, and degree of exercise will ultimately determine how you should proceed. However, you’ll be on the right track if you adhere to the general guidelines for how much sleep someone your age needs.

Children under age 3: 10 to 13 hours

Children in school-age groups (6 to 12): 9 to 12 hours

13 to 18-year-old teenagers: 8 to 10 hours

Adults (18 to 65 years old): 7 to 9 hours

Can You Sleep for 12 Hours a Day?

The answer to the question “Is it OK to sleep 12 hours a day?” is highly influenced by your life stage. For example, adults only need up to nine hours of sleep, but school-age children are permitted to sleep for up to twelve and occasionally even encouraged to.

Why do I keep staying up late?

There are various reasons why you might be sleeping longer than you should or regularly do. See a doctor if you have concerns about this or if it persists for a long time. Depression, thyroid issues, or a sleep disorder could all be underlying factors.

How To Stop Sleeping Too Much

It can be challenging to break a habit, especially if you’ve been doing it for a long time. To stop oversleeping so you can start getting better sleep, there are several particular things you can do (and less of it). For example, you may reduce oversleeping by developing a schedule, keeping a sleep diary, and switching the alarm you use. However, be patient if you are still waiting to see improvements. Some behaviors require more work to change than others. So instead, keep at it and experiment to determine what will be most helpful to you.

1. Establish a routine

Setting a sleep and wake-up time for oneself may sound straightforward, but it is one thing you can do. Allowing your body to establish its pattern can help you avoid getting too much or too little sleep. By establishing a way before you go to sleep, you can work on preparing your body for a great night’s sleep. If you have any sleep anxiety, engaging in relaxing activities will soothe your body and mind and help them get ready for sleep. Try anything from reading to taking a warm shower or bath to relax and unwind. You can also try the following other things:

• Drinking tea without caffeine
• Meditating
• Putting on calming music
• Writing in a diary while stretching 

2. Establish an ideal sleeping environment

As you’ll be getting the appropriate quantity of sleep for your body, falling asleep when you want to go to bed can also help you wake up when you want to. In addition, you can urge your body and brain to relax and make your environment more conducive to sleep, making it more straightforward for you to drift off to sleep. It is crucial to ensure that the room is dark if you wish to sleep well. Use earplugs or a sound machine to block out background noise if it’s noisy. You should also pay attention to the room’s temperature. Likely, you won’t sleep well if it’s excessively hot or cold (or stay asleep). By adjusting the thermostat an hour or more before bed or purchasing fresh bedding that suits your needs, you may prepare your bedroom for a suitable temperature.

3. Maintain a sleep diary

Keeping a sleep journal is an excellent approach to monitoring your sleep patterns over time. You can better choose what you should modify or retain by outlining your surroundings or activities before bed. For instance, if you have trouble falling asleep or waking up in the morning after drinking a cup of caffeinated tea an hour before bed, try abstaining from caffeine at least two hours before bed to see if it helps. If nothing changes, consider other possible causes, such as the room’s temperature or your nighttime routine.

4. Avoid Staying Up Late on Weekends

Sometimes, sleeping on weekends can feel like a short vacation. But, on the other hand, sleeping in later than usual on the weekends can be bad for your health and sleeping patterns. According to an American Heart Association study, people who spend their weekends sleeping in for two hours or more are more likely to have poor cardiovascular health than people who don’t try to catch up on sleep.

5. Put away your technology

Putting your electronics away before night might also aid in preventing excessive sleep. The Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing just published a piece on the detrimental impact of blue light from gadgets on rest. They detail how blue light has an even more significant adverse effect on melatonin production. This hormone regulates sleep-wake cycles more than the light of any other color. So one step in learning how to sleep less and better is putting gadgets away before night.

6. Establish Daytime Healthy Eating Routines

Unbelievably, how you eat throughout the day might improve or interfere with your ability to sleep. This is because everything matters, from your income to the nutrients you feed your body.

7. Don’t take a nap

Even if your sleep is spread out over the day, sleeping excessively might leave you feeling drowsy or exhausted. Instead, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water throughout the day to help you stay alert. Also, try jumping jacks or other exercises to get your blood circulating and your body moving if you feel sleepy.

8. Workout Throughout the Day

There is a correlation between exercise and the quantity of deep sleep you get, even if there isn’t a clear, scientific explanation for how exercise enhances sleep. According to Charlene Gamaldo, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, exercise boosts your deep sleep. This is crucial since it is a deep sleep that revitalizes your body. Exercise can also help you feel calmer and happier, making it easier to fall asleep at first. Working out during the day prepares your body for a restful night’s sleep and better morning wake-up. As a result, you’re less likely to wake up fatigued or sluggish and desire to continue sleeping when your body has received the necessary renewal.

9. Use a light alarm

It is common knowledge that most people have a terrible connection with their alarm clocks. However, there are various alarm clock varieties, some of which may work better than others at keeping you from oversleeping. For example, alarm clocks on phones and other digital devices frequently play loud jingles or songs that annoy you before you hit the snooze button. Contrarily, sunrise or light alarms assist in a gentle, natural awakening.

Potential Health Effects of Sleeping Too Much

Oversleeping may appear harmless, but studies indicate unfavorable long-term implications. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, excessive sleep is frequently linked to heart disease, obesity, depression, migraines, and Type 2 diabetes. It’s unclear whether the issue or the oversleeping came first, but it’s crucial to consult your doctor if you have any of the signs of the health issues mentioned above.