Oversleeping? 5 Major Health Risks You Should Consider

Sharon Moore February 15, 2016

We hear about the many health risks associated with lack of sleep. We’ve heard it being associated with depression, obesity, dementia and other chronic illnesses. But what about oversleeping? As it turns out, it does have some undesirable consequences too.

If you sleep a little more during weekends, that’s fine. But if you tend to oversleep on a daily basis, or if you don’t feel rested even after 9 hours of sleep or more, it may be worth taking a closer look. Oversleeping, just like lack of sleep, may be tied to some health issues as well.

Mental Health Problems

Quality sleep plays a vital role in keeping your brain healthy. Research suggests that lack of or too much sleep can have undesirable effects to our mental health. In particular, oversleeping has been linked to cognitive deterioration, memory impairment, and depression. While most people with depression struggle with insomnia, about 15% tend to oversleep. In 2014, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests that people with long sleep duration are more likely to have persistent depression or anxiety symptoms as compared to normal sleepers.

Pain

Sleeping the pain away works most of the time. But sometimes, those extra Zizz’s can actually increase the symptom. Furthermore, oversleeping has been linked to higher rates of headaches. You probably have experienced ‘weekend headache’, in which case the pain is triggered by too much sleep. But sleep isn’t the only thing to blame. Headaches and migraines may also be due to increased stress and other factors.

Weight Gain

Too little or too much sleep may make it more difficult for you to achieve your weight loss goals. One study found that people who slept for nine or 10 hours every night were 21% more likely to become obese over a six-year period than were people who slept between seven and eight hours. Said effects remained the same even after taking into account a person’s food intake and physical activity.

Heart Disease

An analysis of 72,000 women, published in 2013 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that women who slept nine to 11 hours per night were 38% more likely to have coronary heart disease than women who slept eight hours.

Mortality

Yes - too much sleep is also tied to a higher rate of mortality. Experts relate this to different factors, such as sleep fragmentation, fatigue, weak immunity, photoperiodic abnormalities, and some underlying diseases.

How much is too much?

While there is no exact rule as to the right amount of sleep, it is believed that seven to nine hours is the ideal for adults between the age of 18 and 64. Establishing healthy bedtime habits and making your sleeping environment conducive are among the simple things you can do to ensure that you are getting quality sleep each time.