{"id":1199,"date":"2020-08-27T14:16:56","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T14:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1199"},"modified":"2021-01-27T16:59:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T16:59:05","slug":"can-too-much-sleep-be-harmful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/27\/can-too-much-sleep-be-harmful\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Too Much Sleep Be Harmful?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Can<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people\u2019s daily routines, including their sleep schedules, to change dramatically. While it may feel like sleep quality is decreasing, overall, a study<\/a> from late March 2020 found that, compared to mid-February 2020 (when there were only 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S.), sleep quality actually improved for non-shift workers. This is likely due to the reduction of early morning commitments and stressful, work-related deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Our sleep is resilient. For example, another study<\/a> found that from 1990-1991, during the Persian Gulf War, locals experienced no objective sleep quality declines. Better sleep is certainly a silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic, but an overall improvement in sleep quality begs the question: Can we ever get too much sleep? Can too much sleep have a negative impact on our bodies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Answer is\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

YES!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep a day<\/a> \u2014 no more, no less. There are exceptions, but they are just that: rare exceptions, not the rule. Sleeping too little can be a sign of a larger issue \u2014 and so can sleeping too much. So, if an adult you know regularly sleeps 10+ hours a night, it\u2019s worth diving into not whether they \u201cneed\u201d that much sleep, but why<\/em> they are sleeping that much in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can Sleeping Too Much Be Harmful?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping too much is associated with the following health concerns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n