Lie-ins are literally dreamy aren't they? But it turns out you can have too much of a good thing. According to the experts, oversleeping on a regular basis is a bad game-plan. Rather than waking up feeling refreshed, it can lead to grogginess, grouchiness and it can even be a sign of more serious underlying health issues.
We're 100% here for soaking up those extra zzzs every now and then, cocooned in your duvet (yum), but we asked the experts, how much sleep is too much sleep? And what can oversleeping mean for our health? Here's what they had to say
What is the average amount of sleep most adults need per night?
“The average amount of sleep adults need per night to function normally is 7 hours, however getting 8 hours is advised. It’s also been noted that women need around 20 minutes more sleep per night than men,” explains Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert and CEO of Mattressnextday.
Is there such a thing as too much sleep?
“Yes, there is. Too much sleep on a regular basis can be fairly detrimental and can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” says Martin. “Getting more than 9 hours per night continuously could cause concern. However, getting the odd long night’s sleep of over 10 hours when your body needs it is fine, you just shouldn’t do it too often. You should speak to your GP if you constantly feel sleepy or tired,” he adds.
How much sleep is too much?
“More than 9 hours per night on a regular basis is considered too much,” says Martin.
Can age affect how much sleep you need?
“At each stage of our lives we may have different sleep habits and different reasons for needing a certain amount of sleep,” explains Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neurologist and sleep expert at And So To Bed.
“In your early 20s it is likely that you will need less sleep than teenagers, but a little more sleep than older adults. This is in part because the brain is still developing up to approximately age 25. It is recommended that most young adults in their 20s should be getting a minimum of 7-9 hours of good sleep,” says Dr Lindsay. “Teenagers and those in their early twenties may find that their circadian rhythm (their internal 24 hour clock) is skewed towards naturally wanting to go to bed and wake up later. This can lead to problems being able to wake up in time for work, as their body wants to sleep for longer. It can also make it more difficult to fall asleep early enough to get sufficient sleep, resulting in them getting less sleep overall than needed,” she says.
“In your twenties, you may be staying out late drinking and socialising and then sleeping in at the weekend, but still trying to get up early for work on a Monday. This can lead to a thing called ‘social jetlag’. Social jetlag is where we tend to have very different weekend, vs weekday, bedtimes and wake times. As our circadian rhythm doesn’t cope well with change, this can lead to problems falling and staying asleep at different times. Also, when we drink alcohol this affects our sleep quality with frequent wakings, making the sleep we do get less refreshing,” Dr Linsday says.
“Research has shown however that many people in this age group get closer to six hours of sleep each night, and it’s common for busy young adults with big goals to get even less. The early ’20s stage of life is an exciting but also highly stressful time. It’s important that whilst you enjoy your active social lives in your early 20s, you also take time to slow down and think about what the lack of sleep might be doing to your health,” says Dr Lindsay.
“For people in their 30s, 7-9 hours per night is the recommended amount of sleep. However, by the time you hit your 30s, your brain is fully developed and you may be less physically active than you were in your 20s, meaning you may require a little less sleep than you did prior. Generally, the more physically active you are the more sleep you might need,” says Dr Lindsay.
"In your 30s it is likely that you have left behind the sleep habits of your early 20’s self (such as wildly different weekend and weekday bedtimes), but you may now be entering a period of new bedtime-related issues. This stage of our lives is usually when stress from work, finances and raising a family all start to kick in. If you have a young family, your sleep may be disrupted by attending to the baby or children during the night. Unfortunately, this sleep disruption from babies and very young children is something that you may simply have to endure during that season of your life. If you are experiencing work or financial stress, it is likely that your sleep will be negatively affected. Therefore, trying to reduce excess stress will improve your sleep. The key to getting a good night's sleep is identifying the cause of your lack of sleep and trying to combat it,' she adds.
“For people in their 40s, 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended each night. More than 10 hours is generally considered oversleeping and less than six is insufficient. Although at this age, most people would have achieved some of the life goals they set themselves, and the sleep disruption caused by young children may be lessening, there are many other factors which can cause sleep to be affected in your fourth decade, for example premenopause,” says Dr Lindsay. “Menopause typically occurs between 45 and 55 years old as a woman's oestrogen levels decline. This may mean you will start to experience symptoms of perimenopause due to this fluctuation in hormones. 40-60% of women experience disturbed sleep due to menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia,” she adds.
“Also, in your 40s you may be experiencing stresses associated with the ‘sandwich generation’ where you are simultaneously looking after children and ageing parents. This increase in stress can also affect your sleep. It is important to set time aside for self care – such as regular exercise and making time to do the things that make you happy,” Dr Lindsay recommends.
Based on exactly when you need to wake up.
What can be the cause of wanting to sleep more than average?
“If you’ve had a stressful, physically exerting day, been travelling, or have not had much sleep the night before, your body may need extra rest,” says Dr. Usman Qureshi, Cosmetic Physician, aesthetic doctor and founder of the Luxe Skin Clinic.
“Oversleeping can be a symptom of a number of chronic diseases, these include; heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” says Dr Lindsay. “It can also be a sign of mental health problems, since oversleeping is commonly associated with depression as people may want to sleep to avoid dealing with life. Also, if you are sleeping for over 9 hours, but still feeling fatigued during the day, this may be a sign that the quality of sleep you are getting is not good enough. Sleep apnoea is a prime example of this. When someone has sleep apnoea they will repeatedly stop breathing during the night, causing multiple awakenings and disturbed sleep. However, the person experiencing sleep apnoea may not remember waking and therefore will think that they slept solidly for 9 hours, when in fact their sleep quality was extremely poor,” Dr Lindsay reveals. “If you find yourself constantly tired, or sleeping for large parts of the day then it is important to contact your GP,” she says.
Environmental and lifestyle factors can play a part, too. “If you're on holiday or abroad in a hot and humid country you may feel more sleepy more often,” says Martin. Likewise, “if you have done lots of exercise in the day or had a busy work day, you may sleep more,” he says. And menstruation can impact sleep levels. “Often women feel the need to sleep more during their period,” says Martin.
Is oversleeping unhealthy? Does it have any side-effects?
“Other than the above, oversleeping can also make you feel more tired than you usually are when you wake up. So, you may feel lethargic, groggy, tired, stiff and generally lacking in energy in the morning,” says Martin. “It can lead to low energy during the day, constant fatigue, memory issues, anxiety, headaches and more,” agrees Dr Qureshi. Plus, it can “lower your immune system and increase inflammation in the body,” he says.
And long-term imbalanced sleep can lead to a much more serious side-effect. ‘It can lead to long-term health conditions such as diabetes and coronary heart disease,’ says Dr Qureshi. “People who get too little sleep (significantly fewer than 7 hours per night), or too much sleep (significantly more than 9 hours per night) have been shown to have increased all-cause mortality risk, i.e. you are more likely to die earlier due to any reason, compared to people sleeping between 7-9 hours,” explains Dr Lindsay.
How can you get yourself back in a good cycle if you’ve been oversleeping?
“Oversleeping and excessive napping can be a very tough cycle to break once it starts,” says Dr Qureshi. “In order to have truly beneficial sleep, having a robust circadian rhythm is key. This allows your body to know when it should be tired and when it should be awake, allowing you to feel refreshed when you need to and drop off easier when it is time for bed. One of the best ways of doing this is to keep the same bedtimes and wake times all week, including the weekend,” says Dr Lindsay. “If you oversleep by staying up late and have a lie-in on the weekend, you are giving yourself weekend ‘jet-lag’ making it much harder to go to sleep early on a Sunday night ready for another early start on Monday morning. You will then get into a cycle of feeling tired all the time and are more likely to oversleep,” she says.
“Putting an alarm away from reach is an excellent way to make sure you get out of bed when you plan to, as once you’re out of bed you’re much less likely to climb back in it,” says Dr Lindsay.
“Give yourself a cut-off for coffee or any caffeine, so it’s easy to get to sleep and wake up refreshed and avoid alcohol, as this affects the quality of your sleep,” says Dr Qureshi. Tempted to nap? “If you’re feeling sluggish around mid-day, try to force yourself out for a quick walk and wake yourself up or busy yourself with a stimulating task,” Dr Qureshi says.
Again use your lifestyle and your daily routines to your advantage. “Exercise can be good if you want to move your body and feel energised,” says Martin. Then in the evening, “set a bedtime for yourself and make sure your night time wind down routine is in place. This could be reading a book, taking a bath, listening to a podcast or doing meditation. Make sure you put away any electronics in the evening as often staring at a screen can keep us feeling awake. Try to stay active, eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water during the day,” he adds.
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