Can You Get Too Much Sleep?

Is there such a thing as too much sleep? According to recent studies, yes, and it can have serious consequences – including an increased risk of stroke.

While the number of strokes is going down in the U.S., it remains the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the U.S., studies have found that African Americans, particularly in the Southeastern states, are more likely to have a stroke than other races and African Americans in other parts of the nation. While researchers are searching for the reasons why, two recent studies are both pointing to an unsuspecting culprit – getting too much sleep.

In the first study , African Americans accounted for 60% of the short sleepers – those averaging fewer than six hours per night – and 30% of the long sleepers (9 or more hours a night). Out of the 16,733 study participants who logged their sleeping habits for approximately six years, 460 had strokes.

Those African American males who were considered short sleepers were found to actually have a reduced risk of stroke, while Caucasian males who were long sleepers had an increase in the risk of stroke.

Another recent study in the European Heart Journal found that individuals who slept an average of 6 to 8 hours a day had the lowest risk of serious heart issues and death. Both short sleepers and long sleepers had higher risk of major heart issues, with those who were long sleepers at the highest risk of heart issues or death.

How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?

Both too little sleep and too much sleep have their own health concerns. In addition to the obvious issues like being tired, short-tempered, and struggling to focus, too little sleep has also been linked to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.

On the other hand, getting too much sleep may even be worse for you. Too much sleep is often a symptom of an underlying issue, such as thyroid disease, liver or kidney disease, depression, or dementia, and can lead to other problems, such as major heart issues, stroke, or death. Brain fog, head and body aches, even being tired can all be signs of getting too much sleep.

How much sleep you need varies, but the general guideline from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is between 7 and 9 hours a night. In 2014, following an in-depth study, NSF changed its sleep guidelines by adding the words “may be appropriate,” noting that some adults may require an hour more or an hour less sleep than others.

To determine how much sleep you need, figure out what time you need to wake up then count back 7.5 hours. Make that your bedtime. If you feel tired and struggle to get up, go to be 15 minutes earlier the next night. Keep repeating this, moving your bedtime up by 15 minutes a night, until you’re able to easily wake up around the time your alarm goes off.