You’re Not Just Lazy: Here’s Why You Might Be Sleeping a Lot

If you constantly feel the need to sleep more than usual — even after 8, 9, or 10 hours of rest — you’ve probably asked yourself: “What’s wrong with me?” Or worse, maybe others have brushed it off as laziness. But here's the truth: consistently needing excessive sleep or struggling with daytime fatigue isn’t a reflection of willpower — it’s often a sign that your body or mind is calling out for help.

Oversleeping and excessive sleepiness are symptoms that can be caused by a range of factors — from nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances to mental health challenges and underlying sleep disorders. One lesser-known condition is hypersomnia, which refers to excessive daytime sleepiness or the need for prolonged nighttime sleep, despite getting what most would consider “enough.”

According to the SleepHealth Foundation Australia, one type of hypersomnia — idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) — is considered quite rare in Australia, affecting about 1 to 2 people per 10,000, often beginning in young adulthood (with an average onset age of 22). The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but it’s believed to involve chemical imbalances in the areas of the brain that regulate sleep and wakefulness. That said, due to challenges in diagnosis and limited national data, the true number of Australians living with hypersomnia could be higher than reported.

How much sleep is too much?

Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function well. But what happens when you're regularly clocking 10 hours or more — and still feel tired?

Needing extra rest occasionally (after a stressful week, during illness, or after intense physical activity) is normal. But when excessive sleep becomes a pattern, or when you're still exhausted despite getting plenty of hours, it may be time to pay closer attention.

There are two key issues people often confuse:

• Oversleeping: Consistently sleeping longer than what’s considered typical for your age group (e.g. more than 9–10 hours for adults).
  

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS): Feeling an overwhelming need to sleep during the day, even after a full night’s sleep.

While sleep needs do vary slightly based on age, genetics, lifestyle, and health, excessive sleep or EDS can sometimes be linked to conditions like sleep apnoea, depression, or low iron. And in some cases, it may signal a sleep disorder like hypersomnia.

For reference:

• Infants (4 months - 12 months): 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours, including naps

• 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, including naps

• 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours, including naps

• 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours

• Teenagers (14–17 years): 8–10 hours/night

• Young adults (18–25 years): 7–9 hours/night
  

• Adults (26–64 years): 7–9 hours/night
  

• Older adults (65+): 7–8 hours/night

If you’re regularly needing more than these ranges — or if your quality of sleep feels poor despite quantity — the following sections may help uncover the “why.”

Physical reasons you might be sleeping too much

When you're constantly fatigued or sleeping longer than normal, it's easy to assume it's just stress or poor habits. But in many cases, there are underlying physical reasons for why your body is craving more rest — and it’s not something you can “just power through.”

Here are some common medical and biological causes of excessive sleep:

1. Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea causes brief interruptions in breathing during sleep, often without you even realising it. These disruptions prevent your brain from reaching deep, restorative stages of sleep — leaving you exhausted, no matter how many hours you spend in bed.

Signs to watch for: Loud snoring, gasping for air at night, dry mouth, morning headaches, or feeling groggy even after “enough” sleep.

2. Hypothyroidism

When your thyroid is underactive, your metabolism slows down — and with it, your energy levels. People with hypothyroidism often feel cold, sluggish, and sleepy throughout the day.

Other symptoms may include: weight gain, constipation, thinning hair, and low mood.

3. Iron deficiency / low ferritin

Even if your haemoglobin levels are fine, low ferritin (your body’s iron storage) can cause profound fatigue, poor concentration, and increased need for sleep. This is especially common in menstruating women or people with chronic health conditions.

🛈 At-home ferritin test kits are available, but always discuss your results with a healthcare provider.

4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME)

CFS is a complex condition marked by unrelenting fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. People with CFS often sleep more but still feel drained — along with symptoms like brain fog, muscle aches, or unrefreshing sleep.

5. Blood sugar imbalances & diabetes

Uncontrolled blood sugar (high or low) can affect your energy regulation and make you feel unusually tired. This may lead to longer sleep durations or naps to compensate.

6. Medication side effects

Some medications — including antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and even painkillers — can cause drowsiness or disrupt sleep cycles. Always check with your doctor if you’ve started a new medication and notice increased sleepiness.

7. Undiagnosed inflammatory or autoimmune conditions

Conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or fibromyalgia can create systemic inflammation that taxes your energy levels, leaving you in need of more rest than usual.

If any of these sound familiar, it may be worth exploring further with blood tests, a physical exam, or even a sleep study to better understand what’s going on.

Can excessive sleepiness be attributed to mental health and emotional fatigue?

Yes, mental and emotional exhaustion can have a profound effect on your body — and one of the clearest signs is wanting (or needing) to sleep more.

Here are some common psychological and emotional reasons for oversleeping:

Depression

Oversleeping — known as hypersomnia in the context of depression — is a well-documented symptom. For some people, depression causes insomnia, while for others, it creates the opposite: an overwhelming urge to sleep throughout the day.

You may:

• Sleep 10+ hours and still feel tired
  

• Nap frequently
  

• Use sleep as an escape from emotional distress
  

• Struggle with motivation or energy to start the day

Anxiety and burnout

Anxiety doesn’t always lead to restlessness — in fact, constant tension and worry can leave you emotionally drained and physically exhausted. When your body is in a constant state of “fight or flight,” it eventually crashes — often leading to long sleep sessions or frequent napping.

Burnout, similarly, can make even simple tasks feel monumental. It’s not laziness — it’s your body trying to recharge from long-term overload.

Emotional exhaustion or trauma response

If you’re going through (or have gone through) a traumatic event, grief, or major life upheaval, your nervous system may be in recovery mode. Sleep becomes a coping mechanism — your brain is doing important emotional processing during rest.

Sleep as a form of escape

For many, sleep can become a retreat — a way to avoid feelings of sadness, stress, or overwhelm. It may not be conscious, but if you find yourself sleeping more when life feels hard, it may be emotional, not physical.

Sleep and mental health are deeply intertwined — so if you’ve been feeling low and oversleeping more than usual, it may be time to check in with a mental health professional. The sooner it’s addressed, the sooner you can start feeling like yourself again.

Lifestyle & behavioural triggers

Not all excessive sleepiness is tied to a medical condition — sometimes, daily habits, routines, or your environment can leave you feeling chronically tired, even if you’re technically getting enough hours of rest.

Irregular sleep schedule

If you go to bed and wake up at different times every day, your body’s natural clock (circadian rhythm) can fall out of sync. This inconsistency makes it harder to get restorative sleep, leading to grogginess and the urge to oversleep.

Lack of sunlight and natural light exposure

Daylight helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle by boosting serotonin during the day and melatonin at night. Staying indoors too much — especially in dim lighting — can throw off your rhythm and increase fatigue.

Try this: Get 10–20 minutes of natural sunlight in the morning to help reset your internal clock.

Too much screen time before bed

Exposure to blue light from phones, tablets, or TVs in the evening can suppress melatonin production, delaying your ability to fall asleep and interfering with the quality of your rest.

Stimulant use (and the crash that follows)

Overusing caffeine or energy drinks can lead to energy crashes later in the day — and sometimes disrupt nighttime sleep, causing a vicious cycle of fatigue.

Poor diet and dehydration

Low iron intake, vitamin B12 deficiency, blood sugar fluctuations, and even mild dehydration can leave you foggy and fatigued. If your meals lack balance or you’re not eating regularly, your energy levels can plummet.

Read related article: Steps to Improve Your Iron Levels

Lack of physical activity

Movement boosts circulation, supports mental clarity, and helps regulate sleep. A sedentary lifestyle — especially combined with stress or poor posture — can lead to daytime drowsiness and low mood.

Unrestful sleep environment

An uncomfortable mattress, too much noise, or a room that’s too hot or cold can reduce sleep quality — even if you don’t consciously wake up.

If any of these sound familiar, small adjustments to your daily rhythm, nutrition, and sleep environment can make a big difference over time — especially when paired with the right professional support.

Need to improve your sleep quality? Here are 16 Tips to Fall Asleep Faster.

What is hypersomnia — and do you have it?

If you're consistently getting more than 9–10 hours of sleep, still feel exhausted during the day, and find yourself needing naps just to function — you might be dealing with hypersomnia.

What is hypersomnia?

Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or prolonged nighttime sleep, even when you’ve had what should be enough rest. It goes beyond just “being tired” — this level of fatigue can interfere with work, relationships, and daily functioning.

There are two main types:

• Primary hypersomnia: Caused by problems with the brain’s sleep-wake regulation (e.g. idiopathic hypersomnia).
  

• Secondary hypersomnia: Caused by another condition — like depression, sleep apnoea, or medications.

What is idiopathic hypersomnia?

Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a rare condition where a person experiences chronic, unrefreshing sleep and extreme sleepiness — with no obvious cause. It typically:

• Begins in adolescence or young adulthood
  

• Makes waking up extremely difficult (often with confusion or “sleep drunkenness”)
  

• Isn’t improved by naps
  

• Affects concentration, memory, and mood

How is hypersomnia diagnosed?

Diagnosing hypersomnia isn’t always straightforward. It usually involves:

• A sleep diary or sleep tracker (to document sleep habits)
  

• Polysomnography (a lab-based sleep study)
  

• Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) to measure how quickly you fall asleep during the day

Your doctor may also rule out other conditions first — like sleep apnoea, depression, or thyroid issues.

If you suspect you may have hypersomnia, the most important first step is to speak with your GP or a sleep specialist. Early diagnosis and proper management can make a significant difference in your energy, alertness, and quality of life.

When to see a doctor about oversleeping?

1. You regularly sleep 10+ hours a night and still feel tired

If you're getting more than enough sleep for your age — but still need naps or feel like you’re dragging through the day.

2. You have trouble staying awake during the day

Do you nod off during meetings, at your desk, or while watching TV — even after a full night’s sleep? This could point to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), especially when you have other symptoms, which is not normal.

3. You feel confused, groggy, or "hungover" after waking

Known as sleep inertia, this groggy, disoriented feeling after waking — especially if it lasts more than 30 minutes — can be common in disorders like idiopathic hypersomnia.

4. Oversleeping is affecting your mental health

Feeling like you can’t get out of bed, or using sleep to escape, may indicate depression or emotional burnout — both of which deserve professional support.

5. You recently started a new medication

If your excessive sleepiness coincides with a medication change, speak to your doctor — it could be a side effect or signal that your dosage needs adjusting.

6. You suspect an undiagnosed sleep disorder

Whether it’s snoring, difficulty waking, restless sleep, or extreme fatigue, don’t guess — get assessed. A sleep study (at home or in a clinic) can reveal issues like sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, or hypersomnia that are otherwise hard to detect.

Conclusion: It’s not laziness — it’s a sign to listen to your body

Oversleeping is often your body’s way of signalling that something deeper is going on — whether it’s physical, emotional, environmental, or neurological.

From nutrient deficiencies and thyroid issues, to mental health struggles or undiagnosed sleep disorders like hypersomnia, there are many valid, treatable reasons why your energy might be low and your sleep needs unusually high.

The most important step? Take it seriously. Start tracking your sleep habits, note any changes in mood or focus, and don’t hesitate to speak with your GP or a sleep specialist. Oversleeping may not be the problem itself — but rather a clue that your body needs support.

There’s no shame in needing rest. But with the right insights and care, you can get back to feeling more energised, present, and in control of your days.

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