Sleeping All Day: Sickness Or Something Else?

Sleeping is essential for our health and well-being, but how much sleep is too much? Oversleeping, or long sleeping, is generally defined as sleeping for more than nine hours within a 24-hour period. While occasional oversleeping may be harmless, regular oversleeping can be a symptom of an underlying health condition. It is associated with an increased risk of medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even death. Other factors, such as depression and low socioeconomic status, are also linked to oversleeping. If you find yourself consistently sleeping for extended periods and feeling tired during the day, it may be a sign to consult a healthcare professional to rule out any potential sleep disorders or medical conditions.

Sleep and recovery from illness

Sleep is essential for recovery from illness. When you're sick, your body needs rest to channel its resources into breaking a fever, fighting pathogens, and recovering from a virus. This rest period also helps to prevent the spread of illness by keeping you at home and away from others.

During sleep, the body releases proteins called cytokines, which communicate with cells in the immune system to help fight off infection. Some cytokines also promote sleep, so giving in to feelings of fatigue helps the body make more cytokines and fast-track recovery.

A lack of sleep can negatively impact the body's ability to fight illness. Julia Kogan, a health psychologist, notes that "the lack of sleep sets you up to potentially be more sick and makes it harder for your immune system to fight things off."

Research suggests that sleep helps T cells (a type of white blood cell) more easily stick to infected cells and destroy them. Additionally, slow-wave sleep and the circadian rhythm induce hormonal changes that help send T cells to the lymph nodes and stimulate an immune response.

Sleep is also important for the functioning of natural killer cells, another type of immune cell that can attack tumor cells and cells invaded by a virus. Even modest amounts of sleep loss can cause natural killer cell activity to drop significantly, potentially increasing your risk of illness and autoimmune issues in the long run.

So, if you're feeling under the weather, don't skimp on sleep! Aim for more than nine hours if you can, and try to get a good long continuous stretch of sleep at night.

• Avoid eating too close to bedtime. Try to eat something nourishing a few hours before bed, as hunger can disrupt your sleep.
• Stay away from screens at night. Instead, try reading a book or listening to music to help you relax and fall asleep.
• Use a humidifier to ease respiratory symptoms and create a more comfortable sleeping environment.
• Consider taking a vitamin D supplement, which may help with sleep and boost your immune system.
• Stay hydrated. Common illness symptoms like sweating, diarrhea, and vomiting can lead to dehydration, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids.

Remember, getting enough sleep when you're sick is like medicine for your immune system, so make sure you're giving your body the rest it needs to recover.

Sleep disorders

If you are sleeping for over nine hours a night, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder, a mental health disorder, or another health issue. Oversleeping is associated with a higher risk of certain health problems, including diabetes, obesity, headaches, heart disease, and an increased risk of death.

There are several sleep disorders that can cause oversleeping. These include:

• Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: Disorders related to misalignments between sleep-wake cycles and light-darkness cycles.
• Hypersomnia: A condition where individuals are excessively sleepy and tend to sleep for longer periods, often as a result of an unknown cause (idiopathic hypersomnia).
• Narcolepsy: A sleep disorder where a person feels the need to sleep or falls asleep throughout the day.
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): A sleep-related condition where people experience interruptions in their breathing while they sleep, causing issues like snoring or breathing pauses.
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome: A disorder where your circadian rhythm keeps you up late and makes it hard to wake up in the morning.
• Idiopathic hypersomnia: A disorder where people feel excessive sleepiness for unknown reasons.
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS): A disorder that causes an individual to feel like they need to move their legs due to sensations such as tingling or burning in the legs.

If you are concerned about oversleeping, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional and record your sleep patterns in a sleep diary. Treatment for oversleeping will depend on the underlying cause and may include a combination of lifestyle changes, natural remedies, and medications.

Mental health disorders

Oversleeping, or sleeping too much, is associated with many health problems, including an increased risk of dying from a medical condition. However, this does not necessarily mean that sleeping too much will make you sick. Instead, it may be that when you are sick, you tend to sleep for longer.

There are a number of factors that can cause oversleeping, including:

• Alcohol and drug use
• Environmental factors, such as shift work
• Sleep deficits
• Medication
• Physical and mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety

There is a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. While mental health problems can lead to poor sleep, sleep issues can also worsen mental health conditions. Research has shown that a lack of sleep is harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content, which can influence mood and emotional reactivity. This is tied to mental health disorders and their severity, including the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours.

Depression and anxiety are two mental health conditions that are strongly associated with oversleeping. Approximately 15% of people with depression sleep too much, which may, in turn, worsen their depression. This is because regular sleep habits are important to the recovery process. Similarly, anxiety disorders have a strong association with sleeping problems. Worry and fear contribute to a state of hyperarousal, which is considered a central contributor to insomnia.

Other mental health disorders that are linked to sleep issues include:

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

If you are experiencing problems with sleep, it is a good idea to see a doctor who can give you a health check and help you access treatment and support.

Other health issues

Oversleeping can be a symptom of a variety of health issues. If you are concerned about the amount of sleep you are getting, it is important to consult a healthcare professional. They can help determine the cause of your oversleeping and develop a treatment plan.

Sleep Disorders

There are several sleep disorders that can cause oversleeping, including:

• Sleep apnea: A breathing disorder that causes brief pauses in breathing during sleep, leading to snoring and choking.
• Idiopathic hypersomnia: A sleep disorder characterised by difficulty waking, excessive sleepiness, and the inability to feel rested after sleeping.
• Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder: A disorder where your biological clock keeps you up at night and makes it hard to wake up in the morning.
• Narcolepsy: A sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and a constant urge to sleep.
• Restless leg syndrome: A brain disorder that causes an overwhelming urge to move your legs when you are at rest.

Medical Conditions

Oversleeping can also be a symptom of other medical conditions, such as:

• Obesity: Sleeping too much or too little can increase the risk of obesity.
• Chronic pain: Conditions that cause chronic pain can lead to oversleeping as the body tries to recover.
• Cardiovascular disease: There is a link between oversleeping and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Mental health disorders: Depression and anxiety are often associated with oversleeping, and can also cause sleep disorders.

Medications and Substances

Certain medications and substances can also cause oversleeping, including:

• Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)
• Antidepressant drugs
• Alcohol: Alcohol has sedating effects and can cause excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Illicit drugs: Stopping the use of stimulating drugs like amphetamines or cocaine can result in excessive sleepiness.

Sleep debt

You can recover from sleep debt by taking naps, sleeping more on the weekends, and improving your sleep hygiene. Napping for 10 to 20 minutes can help you feel more refreshed and capable of taking on various tasks throughout the day. It can improve cognitive performance and make you feel less sleepy. However, napping should not interfere with your regular sleeping schedule.

Sleeping in on the weekends can also help you make up for lost sleep, but it is unclear how much sleeping in can compensate for sleep debt. One study found that sleeping in on weekends does not reverse the metabolic dysregulation and potential weight gain associated with regular sleep loss.

To avoid sleep debt, it is important to learn how much sleep your body needs and improve your sleep hygiene. Here are some strategies to help you avoid sleep debt:

• Keep a sleep diary or schedule to set a sleep schedule and prioritize sleep.
• Develop a nighttime routine by turning off electronics, stopping work or studying, and dimming the lights half an hour before bedtime.
• Reconsider your daytime schedule and avoid activities that may contribute to your lack of sleep, such as consuming caffeine after sunset.
• Make your bedroom more sleep-friendly by removing distractions, maintaining a comfortable temperature, and ensuring your bed is comfortable.

Frequently asked questions