The negative health effects of not getting enough sleep are well-known.
But oversleeping can be bad for us too.
What is oversleeping? Researchers say that adults need seven to eight hours of sleep to protect against common diseases and early death.
We recently reported, however, that the average American is getting more than that. According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people over the age of 15 are snoozing an average of 8 hours and 43 minutes each night.
An extra 43 minutes seems harmless, until you see the problems associated with sleeping too much.
Oversleepers are at greater risk of developing diabetes.
Research from the Universityé Laval in Canada found that risk of developing type 2 diabetes was more than twice as high for people who sleep too much.
Researchers studied the sleeping patterns of 276 people over a six-year period. Among them, 20 percent that slept under seven hours or over eight hours developed diabetes, compared to only 7 percent of subjects that had average sleeping patterns.
Oversleepers are at greater risk of obesity.
A paper published in the journal Sleep found that people who sleep longer than eight hours increased their risk of being obese by 21 percent.
The researchers studied 276 adults for six years as part of The Quebec Family Study by Laval University.
Oversleeping can lead to back pain.
Health Guidance reports that there is a relationship between back pain and oversleeping. The longer you sleep, the longer you may be subjecting your spine to harmful positions that can lead to back pain.
Lower back pain is also the most common cause of job-related disability in the United States. The National Institute of Health recommends sleeping on your side to reduce any curve in the spine and always sleeping on a firm surface.
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