Hypersomnia - The Wake Up Call [Part 1]

Sleep is a favourite past time for many. And perhaps rightly so, since some of us are just too overworked, tired, lethargic or simply need a break from the hassles of the day-to-day life. But did you know that a continued excessive sleep spell can be dangerous for your health?

For years we have been told that lack of sleep is a disorder and causes serious harm to human health. Recent studies show that even too much sleep is just as harmful. Potentially doubling the risk of an early death, excessive sleep is the latest of sleep disorders and a major concern for many worldwide.

Sleeping more than the recommended seven to eight hours per day could possibly be a leading cause of various chronic diseases. Where too little sleep is linked to a number of cardiovascular issues, too much sleep is associated with diseases that range from several forms of cancers to chronic conditions of anemia, obesity, diabetes, smoking, drug abuse, head trauma, medicine withdrawal, metabolic factors and serious depression.

A normal human requires only seven to eight hours of sleep per day. During this period our body and mind rejuvenates and prepares itself for another day. But if you are sleeping over eight hours constantly, then your body is trying to tell you that there is something seriously wrong with you.

Although there are various possible medical reasons and disorders that lead to excessive sleepiness, the most common factor is stress or depression. If you have suffered from excessive sleepiness for over a month then it should not be taken lightly. People younger than 30 years are prone to fall into excessive sleepiness, and unless you have suffered from recent trauma or are possibly stressed over some major life issue, the sign that your body is giving out must be taken seriously.

Dr. Piotr Wozniak, in his work ‘Good sleep, good learning, good life’ states that over 90 per cent of the human population suffers from some kind of a sleep disorder and for a real solution we drastically need to change our ‘family life… work… or some social rules’. Since sleep plays a significant psychological function, those of us who fail to respect their sleep patterns are likely to never reach their full intellectual potential. Continued...

Published: Dawn | Images | Health Wake up call