We are constantly bombarded with specifics on what issues occur if we don’t get enough sleep in this fast-paced world. Sleeping too much has a long list of issues as well. The amount of sleep needed is best thought of as an individual thing and one size definitely does not fit all. But if circumstances or choices lead to too much sleeping, surprisingly the physical effects are not much different than sleeping too little.

Prevention magazine posted that about 30% of adults are long sleepers and why it isn’t a good thing. “Individuals who sleep more than 10 hours per day generally have worse health profiles than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours,” says Dr. Susan Redline, professor of sleep medicine at Harvard and senior physician in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Diabetes tops the list as one of the most commonly reported side effects. The body’s capacity to deal with glucose is directly impacted by an inappropriate rest cycle.

Extra-long sleep events often result in headaches or cognitive fog. Dehydration is one possible reason for this as improper fluid intake affects all body functions. Too much sleeping accelerates the aging process of the mind! Long-term effects of oversleeping have been proven to age the brain by as much as two years. This affects focus and memory, as well as the ability to complete basic daily tasks, and may increase the chance of developing mental degenerative issues.

Heart disease is the not-so-silent killer from a variety of lifestyle choices, including sleeping too much. You could be oversleeping as a sign of coronary artery disease, or your habit of oversleeping could be adding to the heart issue. A study of 72,000 women who slept for more than nine hours every night found they were 38% more likely to develop heart disease than normal sleepers. Women are more likely to be oversleepers than men, but still the overall mortality rate is higher by 34% for both men and women who are long sleepers.

Oversleepers are also candidates for back pain issues. Sleeping too much, especially in an uncomfortable position, causes spinal misalignment, muscle stiffness and pain. Instead of oversleeping, a better option would be to sleep less and exercise more. The more sleep, the less the body is moving and therefore less calories are burned. Doctors do know that chronic long sleepers are likely to develop obesity.

Logging lots of shut-eye becomes more common as you get older, and it’s not entirely clear whether it’s a sign that you have a disease or if it can actually make you sick. “The predominant opinion is that long sleep is a marker for underlying health problems,” says Redline.

Long sleep is often not good sleep, meaning that these people aren’t soundly asleep. What doctors do know is that many of the long sleepers aren’t always sleeping but are spending a long time in bed.

Finally, while sleeplessness is more commonly associated with depression than sleeping excessively, approximately 15% of people with depression sleep excessively. By not getting out of bed, they often make their despair worse. Regular rest and sleep habits are critical to the depression recovery process.

Adults getting more than 9-10 hours of sleep at night on a regular basis should consult their physician.

Next Saturday’s T’Man’s 5K in Mooresville has roots in Rowan and lots of our runners and walkers will attend it. Proceeds for the Oct. 8 event go to prevention of teen suicide and will be held at Mooresville High School.

The St. Matthews 5K returns this year on Oct. 29 at the church.

The popular Spooky Sprint 5K, hosted by the Rotary and set for Sunday afternoon, Oct. 30, will be held at Salisbury Community Park for the first time.

Look for these and more events at the new www.salisburyrowanrunners.org website.