Sleeping Excessively: What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You

Sleep is an essential part of our daily routine, but sleeping too much can be problematic. Oversleeping, or hypersomnia, is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and the need for naps, even after a full night's rest. This can be caused by lifestyle habits, medications, sleep disorders, or underlying physical or mental health issues. While the occasional nap can be beneficial, hypersomnia can affect one's ability to function and carry out daily tasks, and may indicate an increased risk of health problems. Understanding the causes of excessive sleepiness is important to improve sleep quality and overall well-being.

Explore related products

NEURIVA Ultra Decaffeinated Clinically Tested Nootropic Brain Supplement for Mental Alertness, Memory, Focus & Concentration, Cognivive, Neurofactor, Phosphatidylserine, Vitamins B6 B12, 60 Capsules

$59.99

The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep

$13.13 $20

How to manage hypersomnia: A guide to help you stop experiencing hypersomnia and grant you a healthy sleep (The Sleep Disorders Cure)

$11

Idiopathic Hypersomnia T-Shirt

$19.99

Mayo Clinic Guide to Better Sleep: Find relief from insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

$18.22 $29.99

Insight & Clarity towards Living with Sleep Disorders: A deep dive into Type 1 Narcolepsy, & living with severe Cataplexy.

$12.99

Hypersomnia

There are two types of hypersomnia: primary and secondary. Primary hypersomnia occurs without another condition causing it, and includes idiopathic hypersomnia (the most common type, with no known cause), Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS, a rare condition where people sleep for 16-20 hours a day during an episode), and narcolepsy (where the brain can't control sleep or wakefulness). Secondary hypersomnia is caused by another health condition or issue, such as alcohol or recreational drug use, medication, medical or psychiatric illnesses, head injuries, or a variety of genetic disorders.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of hypersomnia, it is important to seek advice from a healthcare provider or sleep disorder clinic.

Explore related products

Narcolepsy and Hypersomnia (Lung Biology in Health and Disease)

$196 $250

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS)

KLS usually affects teenagers, with a bias towards males (68-72% of cases), although females can also develop the condition. Symptoms typically begin in early adolescence and recur more than once per year, with the average duration of KLS being 14 years. The onset of KLS is often associated with viral infections, which have been observed to trigger the condition in 72% of patients.

In addition to excessive sleepiness, KLS can cause behavioural and cognitive changes. These may include disinhibition, manifested through hypersexuality, hyperphagia, or emotional lability. Other symptoms can include derealisation, severe apathy, hallucinations, and delusions. People with KLS may also experience increased appetite and unusual cravings.

The exact cause of KLS is unknown, but it is believed to be related to damage to the part of the brain that regulates sleep, such as the thalamus or hypothalamus. Some studies suggest that KLS could be genetic, related to mutations on specific genes. There is currently no definitive treatment or cure for KLS, although lithium has been reported to have limited effects in reducing the length and frequency of episodes in some patients. Stimulants can also promote wakefulness during episodes but do not address cognitive symptoms.

Narcolepsy

Sleeping all the time could be a sign of hypersomnia, a condition that makes you feel extremely sleepy during the day. One type of hypersomnia is narcolepsy, a rare long-term brain condition that affects the brain's ability to control sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy often experience “sleep attacks" or excessive daytime sleepiness, where they fall asleep suddenly and without warning, even if they got a healthy amount of rest the night before.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness: This is the most common symptom of narcolepsy, occurring in all people with the condition. It involves feeling very drowsy throughout the day and finding it difficult to concentrate and stay awake.
• Cataplexy: This is sudden muscle weakness that occurs while the person is awake. It can range from mild effects, such as affecting one side of the body or causing light muscle weakness, to severe cases that lead to collapse. Cataplexy often occurs in response to emotions such as laughter or anger.
• Sleep paralysis: This is a temporary inability to move or speak when falling asleep or upon waking up.
• Hallucinations: People with narcolepsy may experience vivid dreams and hallucinations when falling asleep or upon waking up.

Other symptoms or behaviours commonly associated with narcolepsy include automatic movements, where the person continues to move parts of their body while asleep, amnesia or forgetfulness, and sudden outbursts of words or phrases that are nonsensical in the context of the situation.

Secondary hypersomnia

• Alcohol or recreational drug use: Substances like alcohol, cannabis, and opiates can affect sleep patterns and lead to hypersomnia.
• Health conditions: Issues affecting the muscles, brain, or central nervous system can cause secondary hypersomnia. This includes conditions like Parkinson's disease, Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS), and sleep apnea.
• Mental health conditions: Depression and other mental health issues can trigger secondary hypersomnia.
• Injuries: Head injuries or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are associated with secondary hypersomnia.
• Infections: In some cases, infections such as HIV, Whipple disease, infectious mononucleosis, and Lyme disease have been linked to secondary hypersomnia, possibly due to the infections themselves or the medications used to treat them.

It is important to note that hypersomnia is a chronic neurological sleep disorder that can significantly impact a person's daily life, including their ability to work or attend school and their personal relationships. Treatment for secondary hypersomnia typically focuses on managing the underlying cause. For example, if hypersomnia is caused by sleep apnea, a CPAP machine may be recommended to keep the airways open during sleep. In other cases, lifestyle adjustments, such as improving sleep hygiene, can help reduce the impact of hypersomnia on daily functioning.

Sleep debt

Sleep is an essential part of our daily routine, with the average person spending about a third of their time asleep. Sleep debt, or sleep deficit, is the difference between how much sleep you need and how much you actually get. For example, if you get four hours of sleep when your body needs eight, you will have a sleep debt of four hours. This debt accumulates over time, and can have a detrimental impact on your health.

The human body needs sleep to form and maintain pathways in the brain that allow us to learn and create new memories. Sleep is also important for the brain's housekeeping' role, removing toxins that build up while we are awake. A chronic lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep can increase the risk of health problems, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. Sleep debt can also negatively impact our mental and physical performance, even if we don't feel tired. Research has shown that people can adapt to chronic sleep restriction, meaning that even if someone doesn't feel sleepy, their body may already be experiencing significant declines in its ability to function.

There are several ways to address sleep debt. Some sources suggest that napping can help relieve sleepiness and make you feel more energetic, but it is important that naps do not interfere with your regular sleep schedule. Sleeping in on the weekends can also help to make up for lost sleep during the week, but it is unclear how effective this is. One study found that subjects who slept less during the week and made up for it with extra sleep on the weekend still experienced negative consequences, including excess calorie intake, reduced energy expenditure, weight gain, and detrimental changes in how their body used insulin.

To avoid sleep debt, it is important to learn how much sleep your body needs and to improve your sleep hygiene. This may include keeping a sleep diary, developing a nighttime routine, reconsidering your daytime schedule, and making your bedroom more sleep-friendly.

Frequently asked questions