Sleeping longer while your day gets shorter?

How has your need for sleep changed?

Prolonged sleep means regularly sleeping noticeably longer than is usual for you, while possibly still not feeling fully rested. Compare the last few weeks with how you used to sleep:

• When did your sleep get longer, and how many more hours do you sleep now than before?
• How much time do you actually sleep, and how long do you spend in bed?
• Do you feel restored after a long sleep?
• How hard is it to wake up in the morning?
• Do you feel marked sleepiness during the day?
• Is there loud snoring, pauses in breathing or frequent waking at night?

If the long sleep began after sleep loss or illness and is gradually getting shorter, it may be recovery. If it has lasted for weeks and does not restore you, look at the section “Sleeping longer: what to do”.

Longer sleep: recovery or a persistent change?

Longer sleep may temporarily be needed after sleep loss or illness. A persistent change calls for a broader assessment of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, mood, medicines and general health. Do not sharply cut your sleep to reach an assumed “normal” number of hours.

If low mood and loss of interest in life persist along with long sleep, a doctor may also assess for depression. Long sleep on its own does not yet mean that you have this disorder.

Who to talk to when sleep takes up more and more time

For new or persistent physical symptoms, start with a family doctor. Further investigations depend on your symptoms and examination, not a standard checklist. Mood or anxiety difficulties can also be discussed with a psychiatrist.

A first meeting with a psychiatrist is described in detail on the initial psychiatric consultation page. You can see the specialists’ areas of work on the clinic’s doctors page.

When sleep takes half the day

For Mykhailo long sleep is linked to recovery after night shifts, Dina’s and Kuzma’s days off disappear into sleep, and for Myloslava long sleep comes with tiredness and loss of interest. The section “Making your schedule more predictable” explains what helps the day start on time again.

If at least one of these stories resembles yours, note how many hours you sleep and how you feel after waking. If none of them fits, go back to the questions in the section “How has your need for sleep changed?”.

Making your schedule more predictable

First, it is worth finding out how much you actually sleep. For a while, note your bedtime, wake-up time, daytime naps and how you feel after sleep. This helps you understand whether your need for sleep has really grown and how much your state is linked to the quality of your nights.

To get up at a set time rather than at lunchtime, you need three things:

1. Alertness after waking. If it is missing even after a long sleep, that is a reason to talk to a doctor, not to test your willpower.
2. A reason to get up. A specific task with a time, such as a call at ten or a walk with a neighbour, rather than a vague “I should sleep less”.
3. A manageable task. The first task is small, so you have enough energy for it right after getting up.

It is even better if this task is pleasant. When one item on this list is missing, getting up is put off again and again: in our example, Kuzma lacks a reason to get up, and Myloslava has no alertness even after a long sleep.

Also:

• A stable wake-up time. Try to avoid big differences in your routine between weekdays and weekends.
• Recovery. If long sleep is linked to sleep loss or illness, the need for it may gradually decrease.
• Not just more sleep. If you regularly sleep for a long time but still feel exhausted or sleepy, do not try to solve the problem by sleeping even longer: it is important to find the cause.

Long sleep, sleepiness or tiredness?

Long sleep is easy to confuse with neighbouring states. Compare which is closer to your experience.

• Excessive sleepiness. You feel drowsy during the day even when your night-time sleep is of normal length. Read more on the page about excessive sleepiness.
• Unrefreshing sleep. You sleep your usual hours but are not rested in the morning. See the page on unrefreshing sleep.
• Constant fatigue. You have little energy, and extra hours of sleep do not bring it back. Compare with the description of constant fatigue.
• Difficulty getting out of bed. You are already awake but cannot get up. See the page on difficulty getting out of bed.

These states often occur together, and one of them on its own decides nothing. If you recognised yourself in several points, tell your doctor about all of them.

Sleeping longer: what to do

1. If long sleep comes with marked daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, pauses in breathing, sudden episodes of falling asleep or other unusual sleep symptoms, a consultation is especially important.
2. If your sleep has become noticeably longer for no clear reason, the change has lasted several weeks, waking up is hard or sleep noticeably limits your daily life, see a doctor.
3. If longer sleep comes with persistent low mood, loss of interest, apathy, or feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, see a mental health professional as well.
4. If long sleep began after sleep loss, illness or a change of schedule and is gradually getting shorter, support your routine with the steps in the section “Making your schedule more predictable”.
5. If daytime sleepiness or difficulty getting up matters more, compare your state with the descriptions in the section “Long sleep, sleepiness or tiredness?”.