In a world where so many of us are struggling to get enough sleep, the issue of sleeping too much might seem like a luxury problem. The negative health effects of too little sleep are well-documented, but what happens from too much sleep is less clear. So far, oversleeping headaches have been linked to a host of medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and increased risk of death. While not getting enough sleep a headache trigger, but it’s common to get a headache from sleeping too much.
One reason too much sleep can be linked with other health problems is that your time in bed is disrupted, so you’re not actually getting good rest. Depression and oversleeping can be another link to health problems like headaches. The amount of sleep you need varies significantly over the course of your lifetime. So how should you manage your sleep patterns in order to control your headaches? Here are 3 important things to know about oversleeping headaches:
Oversleeping on Off Days
Oversleeping can cause headache. This is experience is known as “weekend headache” and can be prevented. You should try to maintain a regular sleep pattern and attempt to wake up and go to bed at the same time on the weekend as you do during the week.
Oversleeping during a Nap
Waking up with headache pain after a nap is likely due to waking at the wrong time. The body goes through various stages during the sleep cycle, which means that naps of more than 20 to 45 minutes may result in a deeper sleep that ends in a headache.
Oversleeping with Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common and most frustrating sleep disorders. The inability to fall asleep and stay asleep can cause headaches by itself but can also result in oversleeping when finally able to sleep. It is often necessary to get to the root of the problem of one’s insomnia in order to treat the side effect of headache.
The body is naturally programmed to benefit from a specific amount of sleep, and headaches commonly occur when that amount is too little or too much. Headaches that occur first thing in the morning could be caused by everything from sleep apnea to depression and grinding of the teeth.Just as headache treatment varies from person to person, so does the influence of sleep.