Have you ever woke up from a whole night sleeping but still end up napping a lot throughout the day? Or do you end up waking up hours after your alarm rings? It's very frustrating having to check the clock to realize you're late for work or school, and though you feel well-rested, having too much sleep has its side effects in the long run. And yes, it will take a toll on your health other than the time wasted.
So how can you stop it? Read on as I show you everything you need to know about going overboard on sleeping and how to stop oversleeping for good!
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Why Do I Oversleep?
When you oversleep, there are some reasons why it happens, such as:
- Not Getting Enough Sleep
- Mindset
- Poor Sleeping Schedule
Your doctor may prescribe you some medication for a sleeping disorder called hypersomnia. What your doctor will give you depends on his diagnosis, it can be alerting medications like Methylphenidate or Modafinil, a wakefulness promoter. Other times, he will also prescribed forms of therapy such as light therapy or phototherapy, which has proven to be effective.
Effects of Oversleeping
While not sleeping enough gives you severe side effects, so does oversleep! Here are the things you should watch out for:
- Weight Gain
- Headaches
- Back Pain
- psychological Effects
Feeling like you have wasted your time oversleeping ends up with you feeling negative about yourself. It might also affect your thinking and the way you perform in school, work, or in relationships.
Depression is also linked to oversleeping, with many people who suffer from it oversleeping.
Now that you know how bad oversleeping can be, it's time for a change!
How Much Sleep Do We Need?
Surprisingly, you do NOT need exactly eight hours of sleep! The amount of sleep you need will depend on your age.
Children between six to nine years old need about 9 to 11 hours of sleep, though they can have seven to eight hours. Teenagers require 8 to 10 hours. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but there are a few who can live with about six hours per night (though I recommend at least seven!). Older people (65 years and older) will require seven to eight hours.
Hitting over 11 hours of sleep per day, unless you're a child, will be detrimental to your overall health (and time!).
How to Stop Oversleeping
Convinced that you need to stop sleeping too much but don't know where to start? Here are some tips you can follow to stop oversleeping and ensure that you get the proper sleep you need:
1
Stay Aware
During the first few stages of fixing your sleeping habits, you'll probably want to remain in bed for just one more day or take little naps throughout the day. My advice is to STOP and ensure that you remind yourself that you need to get out of bed and face the morning.
Having a deafening alarm will help you get up. Though you might be in a mad mood for an hour or so, you'll soon get used to waking up at that time, and it will change your mood and health in the long run.
2
Change Your Mindset
The main reason as to why people oversleep is because they LOVE to sleep and simply want to stay in bed all day. What you need to do is to realize that oversleeping brings consequences and you need to encourage yourself to get up. Prioritize your life and work rather than sleep in all day.
3
Change Your Morning Routine
When you get up in the morning, avoid hitting the snooze button and immediately get up. Stretch those muscles and have a real routine, with you eating breakfast and exercising. They are also two factors in helping improve your mind and health.
4
Fix your Sleeping Schedule
As much as possible, sleep during the night and wake up with the sunshine to encourage you to get up. Before sleeping, ensure that all lights are off and you are in a comfortable bed in optimum room temperature. Use the light to your advantage when you get up, opening the curtains or using a lamp alarm. The light will help you get up and stay awake.
Again, ensure that you create a sleeping schedule where you get an optimum amount of sleep, about eight hours on average.
5
Wake Up Easier
One of the biggest problems of people who oversleep is because they have a difficult time getting up. Change this mindset by looking forward to something in the morning to help you pick yourself out of bed, like an event or even your bowl of cereal in the morning. Find something that gets you motivated. Exercise helps!
Take a shower after you get up, switching between cold and hot water every half-minute to help you wake up.
6
Staying Awake
Avoid napping throughout the day, which leads to oversleeping and not getting enough sleep at night. You can do this by avoiding heavy meals at the middle of the day, opting to have light meals throughout the day.
Looking away from your electronics and avoiding caffeine (especially near bedtime) will help you stay awake as well. Listening to live music and short walks under the sun will work wonders. And if not, head to the bathroom and splash some cold water to jolt you.
Tips on How to Sleep Properly
Now that you're familiar with how much sleep you truly need and how to balance it out, what are other habits you can follow to ensure that you have a proper sleep without tossing and turning throughout the night? Here are some tips you can follow:
In Conclusion
Wondering why you start sleeping over ten hours a day and missing out on the first half of your morning? When it's time to make a change and start sleeping better today. Through small changes, you'll be able to take in high health benefits in the long run. Not only will you have more time in your hands, but your mind and body will function even better.
I hope that these tips on how to stop oversleeping helped you become more knowledgeable on what you need to do to get better rest during the night. So don't wait any longer! If you find yourself sleeping more than usual, then try these tips on balancing your sleep today.
If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences on how toe top oversleeping, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.
My name is Layla Parker, the founder of ASleepyWolf.com. At this site, our team is going to bring you a lot of reliable and useful information about sleeping and everything related to it such as the therapies that improve your sleep, the ways of sleeping you should try, all the products you use every day that affects directly to your sleep, your health, and your life.