Oversleeping. Is it Harmful? How to deal with oversleeping: 10 practical tips.
If you slept more than you should, you may be feeling guilty in the morning. There are times when you are tired during the day and sleep through the night until the alarm clock rings.
Not everyone is aware that oversleeping can have a negative effect on your condition. This phenomenon can lead to negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences, which in turn leads to the fact that your day can be hopelessly ruined. Therefore, we suggest that you read the ways that will help you combat such a negative situation.
How to Combat Oversleeping? Practical Recommendations.
Try Using the Real Alarms
It is important to try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time
It is very important to observe the so-called hygiene of sleep
Try writing the so-called sleep diary
Try to avoid napping during the day
Throughout the day, it's a good idea to watch what you're doing
There are a huge number of methods of stress relief that are worth trying
It would be great if you had a certain routine from the morning
Your attitude to the awakening process is very important - don't ignore it!
One of the great tools is to make a daily plan
If you have overslept, it cannot go unnoticed. In all likelihood, if you overslept somewhere, didn't get there in time, it leads to additional stress and anxiety. Of course, if you have overslept once or twice, it will not be a reason for you to be constantly worried and unhappy with yourself. However, if such oversleeping is of a systemic nature, it is likely that you cannot avoid headaches, fatigue, lethargy and apathy. In addition, this fact leads to everyday problems, because such oversleeping leads to the fact that you are always and everywhere late - for work, school and other places where you are expected to be on time.
Pay attention to your lifestyle and habits if you find yourself to be an oversleeper. It is quite possible that in order to stop constantly oversleeping, you only need to reconsider your daily habits, implement sleep hygiene and everything will quickly improve.
Let's Discuss it with You - is it Bad for you to Oversleep?
If you sleep too much, it becomes a tradition. Such a habit can lead to oversleeping becoming your norm. This can't help but affect your regular lifestyle. There is a high probability that you will be constantly and everywhere late: for meetings with friends, work, school. In addition, a lot of inconvenience usually delivers the fact that you always feel guilty because you fail to keep up anywhere.
However unfortunate the result of your social oversleeping may be, the physical aspect can be worse. You may not even realize that a number of the side effects that you might attribute to your health problems can be caused by trivial over-sleeping.
There are many studies on this topic. For example, one study suggests that women who had a disrupted sleep cycle had significantly impaired cognitive abilities. Such women were compared to those who slept about seven hours a day. In addition, it has been scientifically proven that oversleeping is more likely to lead to migraines. In addition, headaches can also affect those who do not get enough sleep.
In addition, it has been scientifically proven that the quality of sleep is directly related to being too long or too short. There is a myth that the more you sleep, the better you sleep. That is why, even though you slept in and did not hear the alarm clock, you may feel very sleepy or you will be drawn to sleep throughout the day.
Science does not stand still, and a large number of scientists continue to identify the various effects that oversleeping causes. These include significant weight gain. A significant body of research suggests that you can gain weight even when you are malnourished if you regularly disrupt your sleep patterns. This effect is possible with both sleep deprivation and oversleeping. There is a lot of controversy about such a symptom as depression. There is an opinion that depression, on the contrary, affects the quality of sleep rather than being a consequence.
Let's Decide What Counts as Oversleeping
There is a scientific term for oversleeping. It is called hypersomnia. A common explanation for the term oversleeping is that you are sleeping more than what is normally recommended for your age. There are certain norms for sleep. It is considered normal for an adult to sleep between 7 and 9 hours. If you regularly sleep more than 9 hours - think about it! Even if this sleep includes little rests and naps during the day - think about it, you are oversleeping!
Nevertheless, you should not constantly resist the fact that you have a desire to sleep a little longer. It is quite normal if you sleep longer than usual on your weekends or vacations - you cannot be said to be an oversleeper in this situation. Worry only if you feel uncomfortable with it, or if you have any other side effects.
If you are constantly oversleeping, it can't help but affect your normal sleep cycle. Just a few days of oversleeping and there is a good chance that your REM sleep will be disrupted. In addition, be prepared for the fact that you can habituate your body to an improper sleep schedule and it cannot help but affect your sleep needs.
Let's get to the bottom of why we're constantly oversleeping?
It is likely that you want to know the causes of oversleeping from a medical point of view. There are times when a doctor will actually diagnose you, call you an oversleeper, and you will find out exactly what is causing your sleep disturbance. In addition, you should pay your attention to your habits. Some habits, as well as your lifestyle, can significantly affect your sleep cycle and quality.
Many of us often wake up in the night and don't pay any attention to it. But this is an important point, because it's why most of us don't get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can be caused by a huge number of different factors - excessive light, background noise, electronics (running computer, laptop, phone). We strongly recommend you to turn off all your gadgets at least one hour before going to sleep to ensure yourself a healthy and comfortable sleep throughout the night. Sometimes it happens that you cannot cope with extraneous noises on your own - then you should buy special noise-canceling headphones or earplugs and use them on a regular basis.
If you drink a lot of coffee during the day, and especially at night, think about it! It can't help but affect your sleep! It has long been known that coffee is quite a serious stimulant for your nervous system, and as a result, it cannot help but affect your sleep. Just one cup of coffee at night can make you toss and turn all night and negatively affect your REM sleep. Please pay attention to this! You can be sleep-deprived even when you think you got a great night's sleep!
You should also pay close attention to your social habits. Please look, objectively, at your daily routine. Maybe you constantly stay up late on weekends, and then you can't get up and sleep until noon? It is worth considering that such a disorderly sleep schedule can lead to chronic sleep problems. Also, even if you feel like you're sleeping normally on such a schedule, the quality of your sleep may suffer. Therefore, in such a situation, it is best to make a sleep schedule, and, as difficult as it may seem, stick to it in order to avoid constantly oversleeping, or, conversely, under-sleeping.
We have a solution - how not to oversleep?
So what should you do if you can call yourself a constant oversleeper? What to do for those who can't get rid of the side effects of oversleeping: headaches, sleep that doesn't bring rest, and constant lateness? Do not worry, especially for you we have a number of practical tips and recommendations that will allow you to get rid of oversleeping and normalize the normal rhythm of sleep.
We Recommend that You Wake Up to Alarm Clocks with Natural Sound
First of all, it is worth thinking about the fact that a large number of people do not use any alarm clock at all. The fact is that the unpleasant sound of an alarm clock can automatically put you in a state of stress. If the sound of the alarm clock makes you uncomfortable, it is likely that you will automatically turn it off and will not want to wake up to its sound.
A great idea would be to change your curtains. Transparent curtains are great for letting natural morning light in. This light will give you more opportunities to wake up in the morning in a natural way and not wake up scared by the loud sounds of the alarm clock.
There are times when you need to wake up before sunrise. It may well be that you can't imagine waking up without an alarm clock. If such a situation arises, try to choose an alarm clock with the most pleasant sound. Now there is a huge number of alarm clocks that have a soothing sound that allows you to wake up as comfortably and stress-free as possible. For example, you can wake up to the sound of waves, chirping birds and wind noise.
It is Important to Try to Stick to a Certain Sleep Schedule
It is very important to know that your lifestyle will allow you to regulate a certain cycle of your body. Try to discipline yourself and make yourself wake up at a certain time. This will get your body into the habit of going to bed at a certain time. This way, it will be much easier for you to fall asleep and more pleasant to wake up, and your sleep will remain restful and comfortable throughout the night.
It is possible that you may not be able to change your old lifestyle and sleep schedule right away. This will require some work on yourself - it is physical and emotional preparation for sleep. If you succeed, you will feel how much the quality of your sleep and how you feel in the morning will change - you will feel awake, healthy and rested.
It's worth starting with the simplest thing: getting ready for bed. There are many pleasant ways to relax before going to bed - read an interesting book, meditate to relaxing music, take a bath with foam or salt with a pleasant fragrance. In short, it's worth doing everything that will allow you to relax as much as possible before bedtime and fall asleep at the time you have planned.
Do not ignore the recommendation to observe sleep hygiene
When we talk about sleep hygiene, it means a certain procedure that allows us to properly prepare for sleep. It is a certain set of actions that allow your brain to turn on the signal - "it's time to get ready for bed!" This will make it much easier for you to fall asleep, and you will wake up in the morning refreshed. Thus, the so-called sleep hygiene will allow you to restore your circadian rhythm.
However, sleep hygiene is not just about what you do before you go to sleep. It is a new way of life that involves working on your mind and body as a whole. This includes a lot of things: exercise, healthy eating, and food. Regularity is very important here-if you turn taking care of yourself into a system, the result will not be long in coming.
It is Necessary to Keep a Sleep Diary
What is a sleep diary? It is a notebook that contains all the records about your sleep schedule. You can and should write down the times you fall asleep in it. It also makes sense to write in your diary the time you wake up, your subjective evaluation of the quality of your sleep and possible awakenings in the middle of the night. The way you keep such a diary is up to you, because its main purpose is not neatness and detail in the content, but keeping track of the same symptoms during sleep.
A sleep diary can be a real lifesaver for those who do not understand why they do not get enough sleep. Indeed, it can seem like a mystery: Why do you keep waking up in the middle of the night even though there is no apparent reason, or why do you go to bed much later than you plan to, day after day? In fact, a sleep diary can be an incredibly useful source of information for your doctor if you ever need to discuss with your doctor the problems associated with being an oversleeper.
Try to Avoid Napping During Sleep
Sometimes napping can be quite useful if you don't abuse it. Unfortunately, we are not always aware that little nap breaks can be detrimental to your night's sleep. There is a tremendous amount of research on this subject. Often, much research suggests that sleeping a little at a time can be extremely effective in combating nighttime sleepiness as well as efficiency during the day, but longer naps during the day can significantly disrupt your nighttime sleep.
A sleep diary can be a great tool for recording your overall impressions of how you slept that night. Maybe you've noticed that you don't get enough sleep at night because you nap many times during the day? If you realize that such events have actually happened to you, then you should pay attention to the fact that you sleep too much during the day.
If you feel you need to sleep in the middle of the day, try not to abuse it and sleep a little. When you realize that you need a short break during the day, don't rely on your internal clock, but rather set yourself an alarm clock for 20-25 minutes. This will increase your chances of not sleeping too long and ruining your normal sleep rhythm.
Try to Pay Attention to What You Do Throughout the Day
If you follow a normal sleep routine and adhere to the principle of regularity, it will allow you to sleep more comfortably throughout the night. In addition, if you regularly monitor your habits throughout the day, you are more likely to fall asleep comfortably and wake up in the morning awake and rested.
Let's take a look at the most effective ways to help you sleep at night. One of the most effective ways is exercise. In the scientific community, there is still a debate about what time of day it is best to exercise so that you can comfortably sleep through the night. However, there is no doubt that exercising during the day will make you more likely to fall asleep peacefully and wake up in the morning awake and rested. In addition, the likelihood that you will oversleep will be reduced many times over.
It is important to watch the amount of coffee you drink. We especially recommend that you pay attention to how much caffeine you consume before going to bed. Please note that caffeine is not only in coffee! Your "enemies" before bedtime are sodas, strong tea and other caffeinated drinks (or even foods) that you consume six hours or less before bedtime. These foods and drinks in large quantities will inevitably lead to poor sleep quality. There is a high probability that you will often wake up at night. Moreover, in the morning you will open your eyes and feel tired and broken.
A Good Alternative is to Try New Methods of Stress Relief
Sleep patterns, as well as sleep quality, are severely affected by factors such as stress and constant anxiety. If you have anxiety, the probability that you are calm and "adventurous" tends to zero. In addition, if you find that you are constantly living in fear that you will not fall asleep, this leads to you having higher levels of anxiety and often ends up simply not hearing your alarm clock.
If you take enough time to relieve stress, you will very quickly notice how your sleep will improve. Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds, especially as we live in a world in which we encounter stress at every turn. However, you don't have to take on everything all at once - you can do it incrementally and we are sure that positive results will not be long in coming!
One of the most effective exercises is to try to do breathing exercises when you feel anxious, or better yet, on a regular basis. Such exercises are especially useful and effective before going to bed. One of the most effective techniques is belly breathing. There is a huge number of such methods, which you can see on the Internet. Try one of them and the result will not make you wait long!
Practices such as yoga and meditation are also widespread. Such methods will allow you to accept yourself in the here and now, learning to be more conscious. Every man and his dog talk about the benefits of exercise, and yet we thought we'd point out the benefits for you once again.
We Suggest That you Think About How You Spend Your Morning and Form a Certain Routine
Have you ever noticed the fact that you turn off the alarm clock, even if you hear it, and immediately fall asleep again. We offer you a solution! If you are a chronic oversleeper, try to make it easier for yourself to wake up in the morning and not fall asleep immediately after hearing the alarm clock.
Here is a simple example. Often we start planning our day as soon as we wake up, before we have even had our coffee. Before you do this, we recommend that you return to the moment, be happy about the day, and then make a mental list of your plans. After you have done this, we recommend that you do some breathing exercises. This practice helps to stimulate the brain, release inner tension, and then function more effectively during the day.
One great method is to open the curtains as soon as you get up, so that natural morning light can enter your room. A glass of clean water on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast is a great way to start the day. After you get out of bed, it is worth devoting at least 10-15 minutes to morning exercise. You can use all the tips at once or the part that suits you.
Consider Your Feeling About Awakening and Think Over Your Attitude Toward It
It is not uncommon that you don't want to wake up in the morning because you believe the day ahead will be filled with negative emotions or a boring routine. However, if you change your attitude towards waking up in the morning and try to free yourself from prejudices, the new day can be filled with pleasant discoveries for you, and waking up in the morning will become comfortable and will not cause discomfort.
One great way to wake up easily in the morning is to think positively about the day ahead. As you fall asleep, think about what good things you can do the next day, what interesting things await you, and what discoveries it may bring.
Right after you wake up, remember your morning routine. A good way to start your day is to set yourself up for a positive morning routine. This is a great way to increase your motivation and with this mindset, there is a good chance that the day will be extremely productive. Another great tool is to fill out your sleep journal and reread it periodically. This is a great way to see patterns in your morning thoughts and behaviors and adjust them as needed.
It Wouldn't Be a Waste to Make a Plan for Each Day
If you have a plan for the day, you are likely to find it much easier. That way, you won't torture and worry yourself, and you'll likely have a much better chance of getting a good night's sleep before a productive day.
We suggest that you plan every new day, and not in your head, but on paper, or better yet, in a special notebook. It will be very useful if you reread it before you go to bed. In the morning we recommend you to refresh and analyze it. Such an exercise on a regular basis will allow you to get up in the morning ready to do your business, work more efficiently and take care of personal matters. Cross your to-do's off your list and rejoice in your achievements!
Some Practical Tips on How to Feel Better After Oversleeping
You may not yet have tried all the ways we suggest to help you not to oversleep. In this case, it would not be at all unreasonable to find out how to fight its consequence in order to be more productive and efficient by day. To do this, we are happy to share with you some interesting recommendations that are likely to help you:
Be Sure to Exercise in the Morning
To cheer up in the morning, one of the best tips is to exercise. We do not have specific recommendations for physical exercise. The main purpose of morning workout is to have fun and energize you for the day to come. A simple stretching is quite suitable for these purposes. Such a basic exercise will easily help you to get the blood flowing in your body and warm up your muscles.
One of the best options for morning exercise is the well-known yoga. Yoga is great because it is not only good for your body, but also for your mind. However, we don't insist on anything! If yoga has a sedative effect on you in the morning, it will be great to put on some upbeat music and dance to it happily for a full charge through the day ahead.
Spend More Time Outdoors
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, the beneficial effects of such time outdoors won't make you wait long. Try going outside and breathing fresh air, even if you feel like you have no energy. You will immediately feel invigorated, energized and charged with positive energy. If you feel that you have a headache from sleeping too much, fresh air will fill your head with oxygen and help you improve, even if you felt completely broken up the moment you woke up.
You will surely triumph over the bad condition caused by oversleeping if you not only go for walks in the fresh air, but also exercise on a regular basis. You don't have to sign up for an expensive gym at all in order to give your body the exercise it needs. You can just take a short walk outside, go for a jog or do some yoga. We guarantee that you will feel light and good after such exercises!
Please don't feel bad if you have not enough time to fully exercise every day in the fresh air! We are sure that you can always find a few minutes to just take a walk and do some simple physical exercises. Even if you just go out and have a cup of coffee, it's guaranteed to energize you for the rest of the day and you'll forget about the consequences of your oversleeping for a long time!
Pay Attention to What You are Eating
Your body and spirit need healthy food, and you should remember that! In order to start your day right, you should eat a good breakfast. Pay attention to what you eat at the beginning of the day. In the morning, whole grains, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and protein are recommended.
One of the best solutions is to drink a glass of water in the morning. Water starts your digestive tract, stimulates your metabolism and removes products of harmful decomposition from your body. This solution gives you vigor in the morning and fills you with energy for the whole day ahead.
This may sound a little strange, but it is not bad advice to stop drinking coffee. It makes some rational sense, because coffee in the morning can affect cortisol levels in one way or another. Many of you will ask - what is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone that is responsible for energy levels in the body. It is usually high enough in the blood in the morning anyway. If you stimulate its production in the morning by drinking coffee, it may not go down in the evening and you may find it difficult to fall asleep.
We Suggest You Rethink Your Sleep Patterns to Stop Oversleeping on a Regular Basis
If you occasionally oversleep, it's usually not a big deal. However, if you have begun to pay attention to it and ask yourself this question on a regular basis, it is worth thinking about. It is possible that this has developed into a chronic problem, which may threaten you with everyday troubles, and in fact, even serious health problems. Try to take advantage of our practical tips that we told you about in this blog. We can't say that all of them will help you, but many of them will certainly help you improve the quality of your life.