If you need to constantly sleep more than 8 or 9 hours a night, you may be sleeping too much. This can be caused by a number of conditions, such as depression, thyroid conditions, and heart disease. Some medicines can also cause you to get too much sleep. Most people know that skimping on sleep can be bad for you.
Too little sleep on a regular basis is linked to a number of chronic illnesses, not to mention irritability and sluggishness during the day. I was sleep-deprived during adolescence due to the demands and hours of school, and that did a lot of damage to my body and mind. Sleep generally has a number of health benefits, but overdoing it is associated with health risks and could indicate an underlying condition. Then, when they grew up and I went to work, I literally had NO time to do other things other than work or sleep.
Prolonged sleep is a rare sleep finding or disorder characterized by the body's inclination to stay asleep for longer periods of time than would be considered typical. In secondary narcolepsy, caused by an injury to the hypothalamus, you can sleep more than 10 hours each night. If I can only sleep 8 hours a day and work 5 days a week, I will be forced to pay this “sleep debt” that has been recorded around (or more) 24 hours. Both sleeping too much and having trouble sleeping are effects of depression, and teens and older adults with depression are more likely to experience excessive sleepiness.
If prolonged sleep is due to another problem, that problem should be resolved as soon as possible to see results quickly. Khan says that sleeping too much can also be attributed to hypersomnia (or excessive daytime sleepiness), late sleep phase syndrome, an abnormal balance of hormones, Parkinson's, or dementia. If you still fall asleep regularly after making these changes, schedule a visit with your primary care doctor. People who sleep for a long time are advised not to combat the disorder, as it can lead to the development of other sleep disorders or medical problems.
Keeping a sleep diary will often be enough for your doctor to make a diagnosis, although you may be asked to perform a night sleep study, or a polysomnogram, to discover any other sleep disorders. I usually go to sleep in the range of 9 to midnight, and I can easily sleep until 11 the next morning if I don't set 3 staggered alarms. I have used the cpap machine for the past 2 years and that has helped my overall rest, but not the duration of sleep.
