Stress isn’t the only reason you sleep too much

We often hear a lot about how lack of sleep affects our physical and mental health, but excessive sleep can also lead to health problems. According to recent statistics from SingleCare, more than 50 million adults in the United States suffer from a sleep disorder, whether it is lack of sleep or excessive sleep. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep every night, so constantly having something below or above that can put you at risk for chronic health issues.

Here are the common culprits of oversleeping and how you can get back to your sleep habits. For more tips on how to rest better, here are the best foods for better sleep And how GABA supplements could be a good alternative to melatonin.

Common causes of excessive sleep and fatigue

If you’ve wondered, “Why am I sleeping so much?” know that there are several causes of excessive sleep. This could be due to stress, diet, jet lag or some other reason entirely. Here we are going to discuss why you might be sleeping all day and how to combat it.

Sleeping troubles

Sleep disorders like insomnia, Sleep Apnea and restless leg syndrome are common causes of sleepless nights. When you don’t get enough rest at night, you might want to take a nap or try to make up for it with more hours of sleep during the day. Along with insomnia, you will experience episodes of being unable to sleep properly, which can sometimes be treated with things like prescriptions or cognitive behavioral therapy.

Sleep apnea is a respiratory condition that can interrupt sleep, often treated by various breathing devices like a CPAP machine. Restless Leg Syndrome is exactly what it sounds like and can make it difficult to sleep because you have to move your legs. This too can be treated with prescription medication from your doctor.

Jet lag

Jet lag upsets your circadian rhythm. This happens when you travel across time zones or have a daily routine that doesn’t coincide with your natural time. sleep-wake cycle. If you’ve ever flown from the United States to Europe, you probably had to take a few days to get back to your normal sleep schedule.

During this jet lag period, you may have trouble falling asleep and experience other sleep periods during the day. Ideally, if you can plan your trip for a day or two before you have to go back to work, that can help smooth out your schedule, but your best bet is to force yourself to stay up all day and go to bed at night. night. .

Anxiety or stress

According to Harvard Health, stress and anxiety have been linked to poor sleep. Often people who are anxious or stressed will have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Due to this disruption of a regular sleep schedule, these people will also sometimes find themselves sleeping too much as their body tries to catch up on lost sleep.

There are several ways to improve sleep if anxiety and stress are the issues, primarily by improving your sleep hygiene. This means setting yourself up for bedtime success by creating ideal sleeping conditions – a dark bedroom with a comfortable temperature and no screens. It can also be helpful to exercise earlier in the day to make yourself more exhausted and avoid stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, and certain foods.

Nutrition

While you may have been told that eating turkey on Thanksgiving makes you tired, Thanks to the tryptophan, it’s probably all in your head. While tryptophan can make you sleepy, tryptophan from turkey doesn’t work that way due to the amino acids involved.

That’s not to say there isn’t a link between food and sleep yet, though: it’s possible to experience excessive sleepiness after eating large amounts of carbohydrates or protein, as these put time to be digested by the body, and this work makes your system tired. You may also feel very tired after eating a large meal for a similar reason. Instead, eat smaller meals (not too close to bedtime) and don’t eat too many problematic foods like sugar or pasta.

Medical conditions

Several medical conditions can affect sleep, including depression, heart disease, and certain cancers. Research has linked certain illnesses to sleep because they affect your brain. Disturbance in brain function can manifest as too little or too much sleep, depending on how your condition affects you. While it can be difficult to pinpoint why you’re sleeping too much, if it persists and you can’t figure out the cause, it could be one of those more serious concerns. If this is the case, it is important to see your doctor to discuss what may be going on.

Medications

Many medications can actually make you tired (just as some can cause insomnia). Those that can make you tired include antihistamines, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, proton pump inhibitors, and beta-blockers. While some of these medications are helpful in their ability to induce sleep – like a muscle relaxant or an antidepressant – others can disrupt your sleep schedule to the point of becoming a bigger problem. If you are currently taking a medication that is interfering with your sleep and causing you to sleep too much, talk to your doctor to see if there might be another medication you should take.

injuries

In general, when you injure yourself – if you break a bone or pull a muscle, for example – you might feel very tired. It’s a good thing, though. Your body has to do a lot of work to heal, which can make you feel tired. It can also be exacerbated by the painkillers you take, which often will also induce sleep. On the other hand, there are times when an injury disrupts your sleep due to pain. There aren’t many ways to fix this, other than making sure your bed is comfortable and asking your doctor about a pain regimen that can help you rest at night.

The wrong mattress or pillows

Your mattress has a lot to do with how you sleep at night, and finding a mattress that’s right for your type of sleeper is important. Back sleepers need another mattress And pillow configuration of those who sleep on their stomach or on their side.

Pillows and mattresses have different levels of firmness, which you should choose based on your preferred sleeping positions. If you sleep on your stomach and have a firm pillow, you may not sleep well because of the pain. The first step to a good setup is knowing what type of sleeper you are and configuring your bed accordingly.

Excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine

You already know that caffeine can disrupt your sleep because it’s a stimulant. If you drink caffeine too late in the day, you may not be able to sleep well. This means you could wake up groggy and over caffeinated, putting you into a never-ending cycle of fatigue that can lead to an oversleeping crash. Alcohol, on the other hand, can put you to sleep easily, but you won’t sleep well (and probably won’t wake up feeling well). This disturbed sleep can also mean that you will sleep too late to catch up. To avoid either of these issues, limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, especially late in the day.

Sleep environment

Even if you think you can sleep anywhere, it probably won’t be quality sleep. If you sleep in a poor sleep environment, you may experience poor quality sleep, which means you’ll catch up later and feel tired until you do. A good sleeping environment is a relaxing dark room with a comfortable temperature and no screen. You Could Sleep Well If You Use A Lavender Diffuser essential oil or a white noise machine.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.