How to Stop Oversleeping

Often we find ourselves oversleeping when we’ve been staying up too late, waking up late, or messing with our sleep schedules in general. While these practices may lead to negative side effects, knowing how to stop oversleeping (and implementing those practices) can change the trajectory of your whole day — and your health.

What does oversleeping mean?

Oversleeping is when someone struggles to wake up to their alarm each morning and therefore sleeps in, longer than their intended wake-up time.

They often get too much sleep, and this can have negative impacts on health and wellbeing. An increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke are all possible effects of oversleeping, and oversleeping often leaves people feeling very tired throughout the day, even after a nap.

Why do I keep oversleeping?

Oversleeping isn’t the result of laziness. There are many factors that may be contributing to an oversleeping problem.

You may be oversleeping because you are sleeping too much or even too little. Or it might be the symptom of a sleeping disorder or another medical condition.

How to stop oversleeping

A habit can be difficult to break, especially if you’ve been doing it for years. However, there are specific things you can do to break the habit of oversleeping so you can start getting better sleep (and less of it).

1. Get Into a Routine

It may seem simple, but one thing you can do is set a bedtime and wake time for yourself. This can help your body create its own schedule, thus helping you avoid sleeping too much or too little. You could even try a meditation app to help your body wind down before bedtime.

2. Create the Perfect Sleep Environment

Being able to fall asleep at your desired bedtime can also help you wake up at your desired time, as you’ll be getting the right amount of sleep for your body. By creating an environment primed for sleep, you can encourage your body and brain to relax, which can help you fall asleep easier.

3. Keep a Sleep Journal

Sleep journals are an excellent way to track how you sleep under different circumstances. By writing down details about your surroundings or activities before falling asleep, you can better assess what you should change or keep the same.

4. Avoid Oversleeping on the Weekends

We know — sleeping in on the weekends can sometimes feel like a mini-vacation. However, sleeping longer than normal on the weekends can be detrimental to your sleeping routine and health.

5. Put Technology Away

Putting your technology away before bed can also help you stop oversleeping. light of any kind poorly affects the production of melatonin — a hormone produced to control the sleep-wake cycle — but blue light, in particular, does so even more powerfully.

6. Create Healthy Eating Habits During the Day

Believe it or not, the way you eat throughout the day can help or hinder your sleep. From the amount of caffeine you consume to the types of nutrients you’re giving your body — it all matters.

7. Avoid Napping

Sleeping too much, even if it’s broken up at different points throughout the day, can make you feel even more tired or groggy than if you hadn’t napped at all. To help keep yourself awake during the day, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

8. Exercise During the Day

While there’s no definite, scientific answer for exactly how exercise improves sleep, there is a correlation between exercise and the amount of deep sleep you get.

By exercising during the day, you prepare your body for deep sleep at night, which will help you wake up better in the morning.

9. Use a Light Alarm

It’s no secret that most people have a negative relationship with their alarm clock – us included. However, there are different types of alarm clocks, and some can be better at preventing oversleeping than others. Phone or other digital alarm clocks often sound with a loud jingle or song, usually annoying you before hitting snooze. On the other hand, sunrise alarms or light alarms help you wake up gently and naturally.