Can You Really Become Addicted to Sleep?

Can You Really Become Addicted to Sleep?

  • April 4, 2022
  • 0 Likes
  • 663 Views
  • 0 Comments

“Is it possible to get used to sleep? I’m asking for myself,” one person recently tweeted. It’s a feeling that many people can relate to.Can You Really Become Addicted to Sleep?

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

When it becomes almost impossible to open your eyes in the morning, or you find yourself struggling to make ends meet, you may begin to think: Is sleep addiction a real thing?

Get acquainted (gain, obtain) with present-day techniques that came from Excessive Sleep and find out if you can really get a good night’s sleep.

Is Sleep Addiction a Real Condition?

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, the average adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep each night. This means real sleep, not just bedtime.

When you do not feel permanently relaxed after 7 hours of sleep and keep blinking during the day, you may begin to feel that you are addicted to sleep.

However, excessive drowsiness can be a sign of another problem. For example, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety or certain medications can have a similar effect.

Addiction is a mental illness that involves the desire for a substance or behavior that can lead to a “reward” or obsessive pursuit of payment.

But does it apply to sleep?

According to Gregory Potter, one of the UK’s leading experts in nutrition, sleep, circadian rhythm, and metabolism, is probably missing.

“Sleep addiction is not a medically recognized condition,” he says.

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addicts use drugs or engage in behaviors that become addictive and often continue with harmful consequences.

Sleep is a biological function and is not fundamentally harmful.

“To live up to that definition, sleep has to have detrimental consequences, and that’s rare,” says Potter. “The only exceptions are instances where someone is doing something dangerous while sleeping.”

Plum’s psychotherapist Mariana Bodio agrees.

“Like breathing, sleep is essential for biological survival,” she says. “Can anyone get used to breathing? Never say no, but it’s very unlikely, and the same is true for sleeping.”

Is this the second condition?

Currently, no academic paper recognizes sleep as an addiction, Bodio notes. However, she added that excessive sleep can be caused by other conditions.

These include:

  • narcolepsy
  • Clean Lyon Syndrome
  • idiopathic hypersomnia
  • Lack of sleep
  • dysania, or failure to get out of bed

It is possible to have one of these conditions and be confused with sleep addiction.

The term “clinomania” is also making its way around the Internet. Like dysania, it refers to the compulsion to stay in bed, but is not recognized as a diagnostic condition.

How to tell if you have a sleep disorder.

Although sleep addiction is not recognized as a medical condition, there are symptoms that can indicate sleep disorders such as hypersomnia.

Symptoms of hypersomnia include:

  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty waking up after a long sleep
  • Irritability
  • Need sleep
  • Memory difficulty
  • Brain fog

“Although hypersomnia is not an addiction, people who have been diagnosed with it may experience widespread side effects,” says Bodio.

These include:

  • Low power
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Migraine
  • Frequent loss of appetite
  • Anxiety
  • Deception
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Losing memory

In some cases, hypersomnia can lead to other conditions such as:

  • Diabetes
  • obesity
  • Clinical depression

You may also be overly tired due to poor sleep habits, sleep disturbance, or behaviors during the day.

Bodio notes that if the body is craving sleep, chances are you really need it.

“Your body needs as much sleep as it needs, it naturally wakes you up when it rests well,” she says. “The hormones involved in our sleep cycles indicate when the body needs to be repaired, rejuvenated and recharged, and so we are put into snooze mode.”

If you want to sleep after a good night’s sleep, Bodiu says it could indicate a problem with sleep quality.

Sleep addiction and mental health

Another possible reason you may feel sleepy may be related to a state of mental health.

“People with certain mental illnesses spend a lot of time in bed,” Potter said. “It’s very common in some forms of depression, for example.” Some people with psychiatric disorders also have hypersomnia. “

Research shows that psychological dependence on sleep can be a sign of depression.

A 2008 trusted source study found a strong link between excessive sleep and depression, with approximately 40% of young depressed adults and 10% of older depressed adultsexperiencing hypersomnia. This number was higher among women.

A 2014 study found that people who get more than 8 hours of sleep a night are more likely to suffer from depression than those who get less than 8 hours of sleep.

Depression can lead to both insomnia and hypersomnia.

A 2017 study found that while insomnia was the most common sleep problem in people with depression, nearly half of the study participants reported hypersomnia as a symptom of their depression.

“People who talk about escaping reality may be in a coma-like state with a desire to eliminate all negativity, due to deep dissatisfaction with their waking life,” says Bodio.

Emergency help.

If you experience any of the above mentioned thoughts or feelings, it is important to talk to a mental health professional and get help right away.

If you are considering suicide, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline or call 911. If you are in the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. It provides 24/7 support.

Sleep Addiction vs. Sleeping Pill Addiction.

Although most experts agree that straight sleep addiction is not a medical condition, it is possible to become addicted to sleeping pills. It can cause symptoms of hypersomnia.

“Sleeping pills can successfully treat short-term insomnia,” says Bodio. “When used properly under the guidance of a medical professional, they are unlikely to have serious side effects.”

However, most drugs carry the risk of dependence.

In addition, you will not realize that you are not dependent on the drug unless you develop tolerance to food or experience withdrawal symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of sleeping pill addiction may include.
  • Memory problems
  • Fatigue and drowsiness during the day
  • Lack of attention
  • Coordination issues
  • Sleep disorders such as sleepwalking

“Addiction usually occurs over time, so sleeping pills should only be taken for short-term treatment,” Bodio advises.

Depending on the type of drug and how long you take it, weaning yourself may be safer than preventing “cold turkey”.

In either case, always seek the help of a medical professional to help you with this process.

  • Share: