It's important to remember that oversleeping is a possible symptom of depression and that oversleeping doesn't cause depression. But it can exacerbate and worsen depression symptoms, Dr. Drerup explains. “If someone's oversleeping, they may wake up and feel like they've missed out on the day,” she says.
Like insufficient sleep, oversleeping is a sign of disordered sleep. It may be connected to a mental health issue, such as depression. It's often a signal that a person is experiencing poor sleep quality, and it can be a sign of a clinical sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea or narcolepsy.
Hypersomnia means excessive sleepiness. There are many different causes, the most common in our society being inadequate sleep. This may be due to shiftwork, family demands (such as a new baby), study or social life. Other causes include sleep disorders, medication, and medical and psychiatric illnesses.
Depression and Mental Health
Oversleeping is considered a potential symptom of depression. While many people with depression report insomnia, about 15% tend to oversleep. People with long sleep durations are also more likely to have persistent depression. View source or anxiety symptoms compared to normal sleepers.
Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels. If you feel you're suffering from fatigue, which is an overwhelming tiredness that isn't relieved by rest and sleep, you may have an underlying medical condition.
But it can exacerbate and worsen depression symptoms, Dr. Drerup explains. “If someone's oversleeping, they may wake up and feel like they've missed out on the day,” she says. “They feel like they're behind and they don't have the ability to get done the things they wanted.”
Sleeping too much puts you at greater risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes than sleeping too little. Sleeping more than seven or eight hours a night, and feeling tired the next day, could indicate you have a health problem.
Too much sleep, however, can be a way of escaping your feelings or situations in life. Recovery is an exhausting process and can be uncomfortable and challenging at times. It is easy to want to escape to peaceful sleep, but sleep is not a healthy escape if it interferes with your daily life.
According to an article in the Huffington Post, a “depression nap” is a way for those suffering from depression to avoid their feelings and use sleep as a coping mechanism. Some say their “naps” can last as long as 4 or 6 hours a day.
Mental laziness and lack of motivation can also be caused by one simple problem: not having enough exercise and nutrients in the body. One should consider eating healthy food high in protein, such as green, leafy vegetables, and fatty fish. Research also suggests eating berries and walnuts and drinking coffee or tea.
But did you know that sleeping too much could also be problematic? Oversleeping is associated with many health problems, including: Type 2 diabetes. Heart disease.
In fact, there can be many underlying reasons why you feel so fatigued, including nutrient deficiency, high stress and anxiety levels, hormonal imbalance, and other medical conditions. By implementing these three takeaways, you are a step closer to getting the sleep you need to feel refreshed the next day.
The most common causes of excessive sleepiness are sleep deprivation and disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia. Depression and other mental health conditions, certain medications, and medical conditions affecting the brain and body can cause daytime drowsiness as well.
Kleine–Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia and to various degrees, behavioral or cognitive disturbances, compulsive eating behavior, and hypersexuality. [1] The disease predominantly affects adolescent males.
And while the occasional long sleep is generally nothing to worry about, oversleeping several days a week could be a sign that something more serious is going on.
If you are an overthinker, you probably face sleep problems. This is because your body does not allow you to sleep when your mind is not at peace. Ruminating on almost everything and worrying constantly about things over which you have little or no control often lead to fewer hours of sleep.
Without sleep, you can't form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories, and it's harder to concentrate and respond quickly. Regularly getting quality sleep can help improve all sorts of issues, so do your brain a favor and give it the ZZZs it needs.
Setting small, achievable goals, practicing self-care, changing your environment, and turning to others for inspiration can be helpful in regaining motivation. In some cases, underlying mental health issues may be at least partially responsible for a lack of motivation.
Psychology. Laziness may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy.