How Much Sleep Is Too Much?

Have you ever woken up with a hangover? Not from alcohol. A sleep hangover. You got plenty of sleep, but instead of waking up feeling rested, you wake up feeling like you had too much. But, too much what? Sleep duration? Is that even possible?

How much sleep should you get? You always hear about getting enough sleep, but what if you get too much sleep? How much sleep is too much? How do you hit the sweet spot of “just right”? Let’s look at sleep and how to get enough of it without going overboard.

How Much Sleep Should You Get?

The amount of sleep you need varies upon the person. When it comes to sleep, there is no set prescription of hours you should sleep per night. The right amount of sleep for you may be too much or too little for the other people in your life. However, the general consensus among experts is that healthy adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. 

Finding the right amount of sleep for your needs each night may take some time. A good sleep pattern will help you test different amounts of sleep to see what works best for you. It could be that turning in a half-hour early could help you achieve the right sleep/wake homeostasis. In the presence of good sleep practices, if you’re still sleeping more than the recommended max of nine hours consistently, it may be time to rule out sleep disorders or any underlying symptoms with your physician. 

How Do You Know If You’re Getting Too Much Sleep?

Oversleeping and feeling drowsy throughout the day can be warning signs that your sleeping habits are excessive. Sleeping in when you’ve been sick or when you’re overtired can help you recover, but regularly sleeping for over ten hours each night as an adult can be a warning sign of sleeping issues.

Sleep is an essential function of every human body. It’s easy to understand that too little sleep is a bad thing, but too much sleep can have negative effects as well. 

Here are some signs that excessive sleep may be a problem for you:

• Issues with productivity
• Decreased daytime energy levels
• Increased anxious feelings 
• Issues with memory
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Feeling excessively fatigued even after adequate amounts of sleep

As mentioned, everyone’s needs are different. If it’s always been your tendency to sleep more than other people your age, you may continue to require more sleep than the recommended seven to nine hours. 

Excessive sleepiness or needing long durations of sleep could be a sign that there’s something else going on, so listen to your body and be sure you get the right amount of sleep. 

Some of the reasons you might be needing excessive amounts of sleep include:

• Mental Health issues
• Heart issues
• Thyroid issues
• Stress
• Medications
• Obesity

If you’re unsure about the causes of your excessive sleep, it may be time to talk to your doctor about your medical conditions. In the meantime, you can prioritize establishing healthy sleeping habits.

How Do You Get The Right Sleep?

If you’re ready to put a stop to your oversleeping and finally get the right amount of sleep, there are some changes that you can make to your lifestyle habits to help improve your sleep health.

1 - Limit Napping

In order to get a proper amount of sleep, you may need to limit your daytime naps to ensure that you can sleep at night and feel rested when you wake up. Naps can be part of healthy sleep patterns, but naps should only last between 10 to 20 minutes. 

You may hear these short naps referred to as “power naps,” or veterans may call them “combat naps” or “military naps.” In the military, these shortened naps are used tactically to provide the napper with restoration and sustainability to maintain readiness and limit the grogginess or low energy that often follows a long nap. 

2 - Sun Salutations

Greeting the sun each morning can help wake up your mind and your body. Natural sunlight enters the retina and alerts the body that it’s time to be awake. Starting this wakeful period will help you fall asleep more easily at night. Exposure to sunlight will also help turn off the sleep cycle that causes you to sleep too much.

Waking up naturally is just as important to your sleep patterns as falling asleep naturally, even if you need a natural supplement to help you do that. 

3 - Stay Consistent

Developing a sleep schedule can help you manage the amount of sleep you get. If you are consistent with when you sleep and wake up, your sleep habits will become the norm that your body expects. This can help keep you from sleeping too much. 

Just make sure that the sleep schedule you allow yourself doesn’t leave you sleeping too little. Aim for the seven to nine hours of sleep that’s recommended, and keep in mind that you should include enough time to fall asleep and wake up naturally.  

In order to establish a routine, it may be necessary to start the process with a little help from a supplement like Complete Calm Sleep Gummies. These tasty treat-like supplements can help calm you down quickly and effectively to prepare you for sleep. 

4 - Track Yourself

Keeping a record of your sleep patterns can help you notice if you’re truly sleeping too much or averaging the proper amount of sleep. If you maintain accurate records, you may also pinpoint the causes of your sleep habits. For example, you may notice lifestyle changes like increased caffeine or alcohol intake that impact your sleep. These nuances can help you make adjustments to help you get adequate amounts of sleep.

Keeping track of your sleep patterns will also help you talk to your doctor if necessary about your excessive sleep. Your doctor may even have advice on how to track your sleep patterns so you can figure out the main problem. 

5 - Supplement Your Sleep

Sometimes you could be sleeping too much because of medications you are taking to help you get to sleep. While you shouldn’t discontinue medication without talking to your physician first, over-the-counter medications can also have their groggy effects. 

Finding a natural alternative like Complete Calm Sleep Gummies to help you instead of over-the-counter sleep aids can promote healthy sleep patterns while leaving you refreshed when you wake up. Chamomile and melatonin can work together to support healthy sleep.

6 - Set Yourself Up For Sleep

In prioritizing getting the right amount of sleep, don’t forget to get good quality sleep. One of the critical factors in a quality night’s sleep is your sleep environment. Be sure that your sleep environment is cool, dark, quiet, and cozy enough to promote healthy sleep. 

Adding a few bedtime routine elements can also help you stay consistent with your sleep habits. Turn off your screens a few hours before bed to give yourself a chance to relax before hitting the hay. Limiting your caffeine intake after afternoon hours may also help your body calm down before you fall asleep at night.

If you struggle to drag yourself out of bed, you may want to shorten your morning routine so that you can allow yourself enough time to wake up. Prepare for the morning by making a to-do list for the next day, laying out your clothes, and prepping a breakfast that won’t take long to prepare the next day. 

Lastly, to make waking up a little easier, give yourself something to look forward to and reward yourself with when you get up when you’re supposed to. Not only are you rewarding your good habits, but you are training your mind to view waking up as a good thing. 

Restful Sleep With ASYSTEM

Sleeping too much can be a problem, just like sleeping too little can also ward off health issues. At the same time, there are a variety of ways to improve poor sleep quality. Determining the cause of excessive sleeping is imperative to improving your sleep quality over time. Although the amount of sleep you need can vary, toddlers, teenagers, and older people can all get a proper amount of sleep with healthy sleep habits set in place. 

If you are looking to improve your overall sleep health, using a supplement like our Complete Calm Sleep Gummies can help you unwind before bedtime, setting you up for a restful night of sleep. With ingredients like Safr-Inside™, Chamomile Extract, Passion Flower Extract, Holy Basil, Lion’s Mane Extract, Rhodiola Extract, Lemon Balm Extract, Night Terpene Blend, and more; you’ll fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed. 

Sources:

Oversleeping: Bad for Your Health? | hopkinsmedicine.org

Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock | sleepfoundation.org 

TACTICAL NAPPING | wrair.army.mil