5 Dangerous Side Effects of Too Much Sleep

You’re probably well aware of the negative side effects that accompany getting too little sleep, but it turns out that overdosing on shut-eye isn’t the best solution for our bodies and minds, either, no matter how sleepy we feel.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. However, if you find yourself feeling exceptionally tired—as though you could easily get in a good 10 or more hours of sleep every night, when given the opportunity—you might end up experiencing some of the following negative health consequences that have been connected with excessive amounts of sleep.

HYPERSOMNIA, OR OVERSLEEPING: WHO IS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE?

It’s important to note that, according to WebMD, there are two factors that are strongly associated with hypersomnia (the clinical term for oversleeping): depression and low socioeconomic status. 

Some of the negative health side effects that have been linked to oversleeping could also be side effects from other health complications that could derive from having a low socioeconomic status—such as limited access to healthcare—or depression.

HYPERSOMNIA SYMPTOMS

According to The Sleep Doctor, you could have hypersomnia if you find yourself:

• sleeping for an exorbitant amount of hours each night (well beyond nine hours)
• have trouble getting out of bed and beginning the day
• are unable to concentrate as efficiently you would like
• feel constantly groggy and out of it during waking hours

NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERSOMNIA

Here are five potential negative side effects that have been linked to oversleeping.

1. Diabetes

Several studies have demonstrated a consistent relationship between an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and getting too much or too little sleep according to Huffington Post.

2. Headaches

Many people associate headaches with getting too little sleep, but it turns out, our brains get stressed out from sleeping too much as well, which could lead to an increase of headaches.

3. Increased Pain

Sedentary lifestyles are associated with increased pain, such as back pain, in adults. If you’re spending extended amounts of time in bed and are not moving, you could be at higher risk for overall pain throughout your body.

4. Brain Fogginess or Grogginess

Data from a Lumosity brain-training platform found that cognitive performance in adults peaked at seven hours of sleep per night and worsened with less and more sleep, according to Huffington Post.

5. Weight Gain

Much like depression, weight gain and oversleeping could ostensibly go hand-in-hand and influence one another. As Elizabeth McDevitt, PhD, a researcher at the Sleep and Cognition Lab at the University of California, Riverside, told RD: “One difficulty in untangling these effects is that things like sleep-disordered breathing, depression, or medication side effects can cause an increase in sleep duration and are also linked to other risk factors, such as weight gain.”