Sleeping over 10 hours daily can signal you're catching up on sleep debt, but consistently needing so much sleep often points to hypersomnia or underlying issues like sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, thyroid problems, nutrient deficiencies, or even certain medications. Poor sleep quality, alcohol/drug use, or disrupted circadian rhythms can also be factors. Consulting a doctor is crucial to identify the cause and get proper treatment, as it may range from simple lifestyle changes to managing a medical condition.
Experts agree that between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night is a healthy range for adults, although it differs from person to person. If you're sleeping more than 9 hours but that's normal for you — and it's not causing any problems in your day-to-day life — there may be no underlying issue.
Hypersomnia is excessive sleepiness. There are many causes of excessive sleepiness, including insufficient or inadequate sleep, sleep disorders, medications and medical or psychiatric illnesses. The characteristics of hypersomnia vary from one person to the next depending on age, lifestyle and underlying causes.
Einstein slept nearly 10 hours a day. He was known to be a firm believer in the importance of a good night's sleep, often aiming for around 10 hours of rest. However, his approach to sleep was somewhat unconventional.
Musk goes to bed around 3 a.m. and gets about 6 hours of sleep every night. Although he's not getting eight hours a night, Musk has upped his sleeping schedule from being nearly nonexistent in the past. In May 2023, Musk told CNBC that he's no longer pulling all-nighters.
Because they are high achievers, they're often able to take on more than most. Even so, they eventually find their breaking point, and must start looking for a new solution to the problem of their limited time. Rather than scaling back commitments, high achievers double down and work even harder by sacrificing sleep.
Narcolepsy is a condition that makes people very sleepy during the day and can cause them to fall asleep suddenly. Some people also have other symptoms, such as muscle weakness when they feel strong emotions. The symptoms can have serious effects on daily life.
The koala is the animal that sleeps approximately 90% of the day (20-22 hours), a necessity due to its low-energy eucalyptus diet requiring intensive digestion, making it the ultimate champion of sleep in the animal kingdom, followed closely by sloths and bats.
The 3-2-1 bedtime method is a simple sleep hygiene strategy: stop eating 3 hours before bed, stop working 2 hours before bed, and stop using screens (phones, tablets, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping your body transition to rest by reducing stimulants and digestive load for better sleep quality. A more detailed version adds 10 hours (no caffeine) and 0 (no snoozing) for a 10-3-2-1-0 rule.
If you're an oversleeper, Gamaldo recommends checking in with your health care provider. He or she might recommend a sleep study to rule out sleep disorders. “If possible, you should seek professional help from a sleep center,” she says.
Researchers believe this is due to the effect oversleeping has on certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and disrupt their nighttime sleep may also find themselves suffering from headaches in the morning.
Constant fatigue can sometimes indicate a wide range of underlying medical conditions — like iron deficiency, hypothyroidism, or diabetes. There are many ways you can reduce daily fatigue. Some examples include getting more sunshine and exercise, limiting caffeine, and eating balanced meals.
Yes, the Navy SEAL sleep trick (an 8-minute power nap with elevated legs) is a real technique for quick rest, popularized by former SEAL Jocko Willink, that helps improve alertness and reduce fatigue, though its effectiveness depends on individual relaxation skills and it's not a substitute for full nighttime sleep. The method involves lying down, elevating your feet above your heart (on a chair or couch), relaxing facial muscles, dropping shoulders, and clearing your mind for about 8-10 minutes to promote relaxation and blood flow, preventing grogginess.
Sleep Disorders
Disrupted sleep from conditions like sleep apnea and narcolepsy can lead to fragmented rest and leave you feeling like you need more hours, even after a full night of sleep. These conditions often result in poor-quality rest that your body tries to compensate for by sleeping longer.
Among the most rested countries surveyed by Sleep Cycle, an app that tracks how much shuteye people are getting, New Zealand comes top with the average Kiwi clocking up in excess of 7.5 hours per night. Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, the UK and Belgium all rank highly for sleep, too, with Ireland close behind.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency: A Rare Cause of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Hypersomnia is a neurological disorder of excessive time spent sleeping or excessive sleepiness. It can have many possible causes (such as seasonal affective disorder) and can cause distress and problems with functioning.
The five key signs of narcolepsy, often remembered by the acronym CHESS, are Cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness), Hallucinations (vivid dream-like images), Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Sleep Paralysis (inability to move when falling asleep or waking), and Sleep Disruption (fragmented nighttime sleep). These symptoms reflect a disruption between wakefulness and REM sleep, with elements of sleep intruding into the waking state.
Which jobs have the highest rates of sleep deprivation? Transportation workers (especially truck drivers), healthcare workers, manufacturing employees working night shifts, and business executives have the highest rates of occupational sleep deprivation.
The idea is that you'll have gradually increasing wake times between naps, with two hours before the first, three hours after that, and four hours just before bedtime. It's designed for babies who can do with just two naps a day, a stage that usually occurs between six and 18 months old.