Sleep specialists have explained when extra shut-eye can become excessive and shared practical ways to find a healthier middle ground so you feel your best the next day.
World Sleep Day takes place this Friday (March 13) and is designed to spotlight the importance of good sleep health.
The annual awareness day encourages people to think more carefully about their nightly habits, including how consistent their schedule is and whether they’re regularly getting enough rest.
Most advice tends to focus on the downsides of too little sleep, but the risks linked to oversleeping are discussed far less. After all, many people won’t exactly moan about clocking ten hours and rolling out of bed late on a weekend.
However, sleep experts Charlotte Gupta and Gabrielle Rigney, writing in The Conversation, have outlined why regularly sleeping for long stretches may not be as harmless as it seems.
One review that assessed 79 studies reported that people sleeping more than nine hours per night faced a 34 percent higher risk of death compared with those who typically got seven to eight hours.
A separate study from 2018 examined sleep outcomes across multiple research projects that followed participants for periods ranging from one year up to three decades and found a similar pattern.
In that analysis, sleeping beyond nine hours a night was associated with a 14 percent higher risk of death during the study timeframe.
The article also highlighted that longer sleep is associated with several health concerns, including depression, chronic pain, weight gain, and metabolic disorders.
To help hit a more balanced amount of sleep, Gupta and Rigney recommend trying to “get sunlight and stay active during the day, and try to keep a regular sleep and wake time”.
They also advise cutting down on screen time in the hour before bed, keeping your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and ensuring your sleeping environment is quiet and dark.
Comfort matters too, as an unsupportive mattress, pillows, or bedding can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Sammy Margo, a sleep expert with Dreams, has also shared tips for better-quality rest, pointing to consistency as one of the most effective changes people can make.
The expert explained: “Humans thrive on rhythm and routine. Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, even at weekends. If you’ve had a poor night, go to bed slightly earlier rather than sleeping in. Wind down properly with calming activities, limit caffeine late in the day, and make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and comfortable.”