Greetings Qpet! I found many references to the effects of too much
sleep that I find quite interesting.
An article from USA Today cited a study regarding heart problems which
offered "Compared with women who slept eight hours, those who slept
five or fewer hours were 45% more likely to have heart problems, the
researchers report. And women who slept nine hours or more were 38%
more likely to experience heart problems than women who slept eight
hours."
From http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-01-27-heart-usat_x.htm
"There have been several studies examining the impact of short
duration sleep deprivation," said Najib Ayas, of BWH. "However, our
research is one of the first to hypothesize that sustained reduced
sleep duration as well as an excess could negatively impact a woman's
cardiovascular health. Our data reflect that short and long sleepers
may be at a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)."
From http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/01.30/12-sleep.html
An article at MSNBC echos the same regards to heart health and
sleeping and an article at
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/sleep_and_longevity020215.html
states "Additionally, even if further research confirms that short or
long sleepers have higher mortality rates, experts say they will still
stress the importance of a good night's sleep, because living longer
does not necessarily mean living better."
An interesting question and answer is available for view at
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0299.html. The asked is concerned
about sleeping too much and Alice recommends in part:
*Get up at the same time every day. If you need to, change the time
you go to bed to make sure you get enough sleep.
*Sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet room. Wear earplugs or create white
noise with a fan to screen out external interruptions.
*Avoid alcohol near bedtime. It can interrupt REM (rapid eye
movement) sleep, the most important part of the sleep cycle.
*Limit caffeine and sugar intake prior to sleep.
*Avoid heavy meals near bedtime.
*Don't exercise aerobically for several hours before bedtime.
Mild depression is also mentioned and can be a factor in some cases.
The depression factor and sleeping too much is covered at
http://www.wellbutrin-sr.com/dtc/c_understand.html and states that
"The symptoms that help a doctor identify depression in a patient
include...a change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping,
early morning awakening, or sleeping too much."
The website at http://www.ku.edu/~shs/Student%20Self%20Care/depression.htm
also covers signs of depression. I am not suggesting you seek therapy
for your excess sleep if this is your problem - I simply want you to
be aware that depression is sometimes a factor in this area. If you
are experiencing the situation in your query, you may want to submit
to a physical exam to ascertain your good health and perhaps discuss
your excess sleep situation with a physician. I am not a physician or
psychologist and so I do not offer this advice as a professional; I
only suggest it so that you might feel certain there is no physical
reason for the problem.
At MSN Health, a question is posed in an article located at
http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/59/66895.htm "Why would
too much sleep have an adverse affect on health?" and it is suggested
"Another study had a similar finding, says Ayas. "It may be some
unknown factor that's causing them to sleep more, like obstructive
sleep apnea or fragmented sleep. Again, it's putting stress on the
body."
Another theory: "It's also possible that too much sleep could be bad
for you," he adds. "Maybe too much sleep is like too much food, it
causes a health risk. I don't think that's true, but other scientists
have said that."
Again, if the topic of your query is what you are personally
experiencing, it may be that you are having a bout of sleep apnea
which wouuld be impossible for you to detect when you are sleeping.
This is another reason to seek the advice of a physician as there are
ways to monitor sleep to ascertain if sleep apnea is taking place. If
this is the case, it would be placing stress on your body during sleep
and would account for the fact you sleep longer and may feel fatigued
after waking. Please visit http://www.sleepapnea.org/ (American Sleep
Apnea Association) for comprehensive facts concerning sleep apnea.
In an article at http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2002/10_02/pn_sleep.htm
under the heading "How much sleep is right for you?" it is stated:
"Some people feel fine with 4 hours of sleep, and others require up to
10. Older people tend to need less sleep than younger adults; children
and teens need the most. The right amount of sleep for you is the
amount that allows you to awake refreshed and have energy throughout
the day."
If you are awaking feeling refreshed, then perhaps the excess sleep is
occurring because your body is suddenly needing extra sleep. If you
are awaking tired and fatigued, then you may be experiencing mild
depression or have a condition such as sleep apnea which is
prohibiting a restful night's sleep. The only real health threat
constant in my research results was the heart-related references.
Consider you age and your gender as factors. Also, consider your
lifestyle and if you drink alcoholic beverages or eat right before
sleeping or partake of other substances that could be causing extended
sleep.
I hope the information I have provided is of assistance to your query.
Should you need clarification, please request it.
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