6 bad things that may happen to you if you sleep too much

Doctors agree: Quality sleep is crucial for your health. Not only do you need it to stay focused and alert during the day, but it helps your body recharge and recover from wear and tear and might lower your risk of everything from obesity and diabetes to premature death.

But can you have too much of a good thing? Definitely, say experts.

“Individuals who sleep more than 10 hours per day generally have worse health profiles than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours,” says Susan Redline, MD, MPH, professor of sleep medicine at Harvard and senior physician in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Are you bothered about the amount of time you spend sleeping or you just want to know the health implications you may face if you sleep too much.

Listed below are six bad things that may happen to you if sleep too much.

You’re At Higher Risk Of Heart Disease: If you snooze a ton, you lose…at least when it comes to heart health. Heart disease is already the number one cause of death in the US, and sleeping more than 8 hours a night increases your chances of dying from it by 34%.

You’re More Likely To Struggle With Your Weight: Many studies show that people who don’t sleep enough tend to be heavier, but there’s also a link between excess sleep and obesity.

Though it’s not a simple case of cause and effect, says Irwin, there’s definitely a connection. “What we do know is that as people get more obese, they’re likely to be long sleepers,” he says. “And if you’re a long sleeper, you’re more likely to be obese.”

You May Develop Diabetes: Too much sleep can raise your blood sugar levels (as can skimping on sleep). That’s not the kind of sweet dreams you want: High blood glucose can increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Read also: How to manage fever in children

Your Brain Gets Fuzzier: Can’t concentrate? Blame your time between the sheets. Chronic long sleeping can age your brain by as much as 2 years and make it difficult to perform everyday tasks, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

You’re At Risk Of Dying Early: It’s scary, but true: Large-scale epidemiologic studies have shown that people who sleep longer are more likely to die prematurely. No one knows exactly why, but inflammation probably plays an important role.

Your Mood Can Suffer: Depression and sleep go hand in hand, but it’s a chicken-and-egg situation. Quite often, people with certain types of depression sleep longer and longer sleep can make depression worse.

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