Can You Sleep Too Much? Likely No, but Too Little Can Create Health Consequences

The quantity and quality of a person’s sleep can have a direct impact on their physical and mental health. During sleep, the body works to support healthy brain function and, in children, growth and development, which essentially amounts to recharging the brain and body for the day ahead.

Lack of sleep can influence attention, creativity and cognitive abilities and may even play a role in depression symptoms and emotional regulation, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. But can you sleep too much?

Rebecca Spencer, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says no.

“First, it would be difficult to do because if it was ‘too much,’ you would lack sleep pressure and be unable to sleep. Often, if we sleep a long time, it’s because we need sleep for one reason or another (we’re sick, we’re sleep-deprived),” says Spencer.

Learn more: Lack of sleep could lead to an increase in mental health disorders

Can you sleep too much?

If a person gets the appropriate amount of sleep their body needs, any additional sleep follows the “law of diminishing returns.” In other words, sleep becomes less restorative and restorative.

Think of a cell phone with a dead battery. When a person stops using their phone and plugs it in, the battery recharges over time. However, once the battery is fully charged, keeping the phone plugged in doesn’t add or take away from the charge – it just stays at its maximum level.

Each person also has their own sleep needs.

“In general, our genetics determine how much sleep we need. The recommendation that we need seven or eight hours of sleep is largely based on averages of what people get, as opposed to what we need,” says Spencer.

Because this need is partly determined by genetics, some people may need more or less than the recommended amount.

Sleep needs fluctuate

Sleep needs also depend on lifestyle and health. Newborns, for example, may need up to 17 hours of sleep, while a two-year-old may need 14 hours, according to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.

As hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, people who menstruate may sleep less during their luteal phase, which occurs in the second half of the menstrual cycle after ovulation, according to a study published in Curéus. Athletes, on the other hand, may need more sleep to repair their muscles and improve recovery.

“Sleep needs will also reflect the last time we slept. We increase sleep pressure the longer we stay awake and need more sleep to recover from this sleep debt,” says Spencer.

Importance of sleep

Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, in each person, sleeping less than necessary impacts cognitive, physical, and mental health. Cognitively, people who don’t get enough sleep will be inattentive, have poor memory, and feel like they are in brain fog.

Physically, reaction times may be affected, which is a dangerous symptom when associated with driving. In fact, some studies have linked daylight saving time to higher rates of traffic accidents due to changes in sleep schedules, according to a study by Journal of Security Research.

“When we are sleep deprived, the immune system does not work well, so we get sick quickly and it will take longer to heal or recover from an injury. Mental health is also affected, as we will have more symptoms of depression and anxiety when we are sleep deprived,” says Spencer.

To achieve sleep goals, Spencer recommends practicing good sleep hygiene, which includes sleeping in a dark, comfortable, quiet, and familiar space.

“It also means going to bed when you’re tired and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, limited to one hour per day for going to bed and waking up,” she says.

This article does not offer medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.

Learn more: Women may need more sleep than men, but research isn’t sure why

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