You always hear about people not getting enough sleep, but is there such a thing as getting too much sleep? Read to find out.
By Dr. Alia Elias
Have you ever noticed that as you get older, sleep becomes more and more desirable? For a number of reasons, as adults we look forward to hopping into bed any chance we can get.
But how many hours of sleep do we actually need? According to the trusted experts at Mayo Clinic, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. And that is, you know, time spent actually sleeping — not scrolling or sexting. The amount of sleep a person needs varies from age to age and can depend also upon hormonal fluctuations, sleep loss, and of course sleep quality. Laying in bed for 10 hours doesn’t count if you’re only able to sleep for 5 of them.
It seems as if insomnia and too little sleep get all of the attention when it comes to sleeping habits. Which had us wondering: is there such a thing as oversleeping?
Turns out there is.
Hello, hypersomnia.
Oversleeping, or hypersomnia, is a real problem. *Cue disappointing sigh.* This issue is typically something that starts in childhood, but can also develop if you’ve made a habit of trying to survive on not enough sleep for too long.
Hypersomnia can also occur as a result of health conditions such as thyroid disease, heart disease, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, depression, or from a slew of medications.
So obviously we all need to find our sweet spot for the right amount of sleep. Just like Goldilocks, we don’t want too little or too much, but just the right amount.
Too little sleep can be equated to having the same functionality as being under the influence of alcohol. And that is clearly not going to bring us what we want in the bedroom (we aren’t talking sleep here). And as is the case with insomnia, hypersomnia means we don’t want to encourage operating heavy machinery (if you know what we mean . . . ).
If we fall prey to hypersomnia, we may also find ourselves suffering from:
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Back and joint pain
- More
Not to mention that we will be wasting our time sleeping when we could be doing, well, more enjoyable things in bed.
Clearly there is a delicate balance when it comes to sleep.
Goldilocks-approved sleep tips.
So, what are some things we can do to obtain that sleep sweet spot so we can get the best of all worlds?
Here are some Visceral-approved tips:
Make a sleep schedule, and stick to it. We know it’s not easy, but try as hard as you can to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — yes this includes weekends. This will help your cortisol and melatonin properly adapt to the sleep and wake rhythm.
No more pre-bedtime drinks. If you want to be really good, this will include no drinking around dinner time (though we don’t expect this from you, because we know we can’t say no to wine with dinner. Or tequila.). Why this torturous rule? Because alcohol is a depressant that can be followed by being a stimulant, meaning that you may pass out after a couple glasses of wine only to find yourself waking up a few hours later ready to rock and roll.
Establish a bedtime routine. Whether this is using a mindfulness app to meditate, taking a bath, listening to music, reading a book, or some self-love, taking the time to quiet the mind before sleep is the best way to prepare for a night full of the best zzzzs.
Get in the mood. No, not that mood. But the sleeping mood. Use dark blinds or curtains, definitely silence your phone and keep those blue light screens out of the bedroom.
Use your bedroom only as it’s meant to be used: as the sacred place for sleep and sex. Keep other activities out of the bedroom.
