How to Stop Oversleeping
Do you find yourself getting to work or other commitments late on a daily basis? Is it difficult for you to fall asleep at night, and when you finally do, it’s almost impossible for you to get up in the morning? Oversleeping is a debilitating condition that can cause you to be late, tired and out of step with everyone around you.
The first step in combating oversleeping is to figure out whether you are, in fact, oversleeping or if there is another underlying cause. If, as an adult, you’re sleeping more than 11 hours a night, then it’s likely you’re sleeping too much. This can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a desire to oversleep. The standard number of hours of sleep an adult should get a night is 6-8.
If you are chronically oversleeping, it is important to see a doctor to determine if there are underlying health problems so they can be removed. Sleep problems can be caused by a wide range of conditions, illnesses and diseases including depression, heart problems and more.
You can change your sleeping pattern by simply going to bed at the same time every night and getting up and the same time every morning. Set an alarm for an early hour, preferably leaving enough time to prepare for the day without being rushed. Eventually, your body will naturally and habitually wake up at this time. Persist with this routine, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s working. It can take your body a while to overcome poor sleeping habits.
It’s important not to just get up in the morning, but to give yourself a reason to get up on time every day. Find something you’d like to be doing and make the time to add it in first thing in the morning, even if this means going to bed earlier each night.
During the day, take a nap if possible. This helps to refresh and energize your body for working in the afternoon. Try to keep the nap to 20 minutes before 3pm though. You don’t want to take away a reason to sleep properly during the night, which can cause a new set of problems.