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Everyone has different sleep needs, and while some people can function well on short sleep, others are long sleepers who require many hours of sleep. However, some people might be worried, thinking, "I need more sleep than others to feel well, so maybe I'm sick."
This article explains the characteristics and causes of long sleepers, as well as tips for long sleepers who are concerned about their sleep to get a good night's rest.
What is a long sleeper (long duration sleeper)?
A long sleeper, as the name suggests, is someone who needs a long time to sleep. However, there is no clear definition of "long sleep duration" because the appropriate amount of sleep varies from person to person. Let's look at the details for each.
There is no clear definition for a long sleeper.
A long sleeper generally refers to someone who feels sleep-deprived if they don't get at least 9 hours of sleep every day. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 3rd Edition (ICSD-3) states that "adults are long sleepers if they sleep 10 hours or more, and children are long sleepers if they sleep 2 hours or more than the age-appropriate sleep duration."
However, there is no clear definition of how many hours of sleep qualify someone as a long sleeper, as the required sleep duration varies depending on one's constitution, daily activity level, and so on.
In Japan, about 5-10% of the population are considered long sleepers, which is not particularly rare. Some people may even sleep for 12-15 hours a day during long holidays to compensate for sleep deprivation during the weekdays.
There's no problem if you're sleeping soundly.
Generally, adults need 6 hours or more of sleep, while elementary school children need 9-12 hours, and junior high and high school students need 8-10 hours.
Reference: Sleep Guidelines for Health Promotion 2023 - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
However, the amount of sleep needed for the body to recover varies depending on age, constitution, physical condition, and daily activity level. Therefore, simply sleeping for a long time does not mean you are sick. If you don't feel sleepy during the day and can function comfortably, there's no need to be concerned about how many hours you sleep, and it's considered to have no health problems.
Also, just because you can sleep for many hours doesn't necessarily mean you're a long sleeper. A long sleeper is someone whose "optimal sleep duration" is long.
Characteristics of a long sleeper
While we've discussed that there's no precise standard for long sleepers, several characteristics are often observed. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), long sleepers typically tend to sleep 10 to 12 hours at night. Since they can rest their mind and body thoroughly, another characteristic is that stress and fatigue are less likely to carry over to the next day.
On the other hand, some people struggle with problems such as difficulty waking up in the morning or disruptions to school or work life due to the inability to secure the necessary amount of sleep.
It's also said that they tend to accumulate anxiety and stress because they are often misunderstood by those who get a normal amount of sleep, who may perceive them as lazy for sleeping so much.
Differences between hypersomnia and long sleepers
Long sleepers are often mistaken for hypersomnia, a type of sleep disorder, but they are actually different. The symptoms and main characteristics of hypersomnia are as follows:
- Experiencing strong daytime sleepiness despite getting enough sleep at night.
- Having a long total sleep duration (typically 11 hours or more).
- Repeatedly napping during the day, and once asleep, sleeping for over an hour.
- Experiencing strong sleepiness even when concentration is required, but it's not so intense that it's unbearable.
While both involve long sleep durations, the main difference is that long sleepers can function normally during the day if they get enough sleep, whereas people with hypersomnia experience strong daytime sleepiness even after getting sufficient sleep at night.
It's difficult for busy modern people to get over 10 hours of sleep every day, and even long sleepers often get an average amount of sleep (around 6 hours), leading to sleep deprivation. This makes it difficult to distinguish between being a long sleeper and having hypersomnia.
Difference between short sleepers and long sleepers
While individuals who require a long amount of sleep are called long sleepers, those who need a short amount of sleep are called short sleepers. A short sleeper is someone who can live without problems even with less than 6 hours of sleep. The main characteristics of a short sleeper are as follows:- Wakes up feeling refreshed even after a short amount of sleep.
- Wakes up naturally without an alarm clock even after a short amount of sleep.
- Doesn't take naps or siestas.
- Doesn't sleep more than 2 hours longer on weekends than on weekdays.
While there are concerns about the impact of short sleep duration on health and lifespan, if the individual feels they are getting enough sleep and can carry out their daily life without problems, it is generally believed that their health will not be compromised.
It's also said that it's an enviable constitution for modern people who tend to cut down on sleep, but whether someone is a short sleeper or not is likely determined by genetics. It's purely a matter of constitution and not something that can be achieved through habit or willpower. Forcing yourself to shorten your sleep will lead to sleep deprivation and physical and mental problems, so avoid doing so.
Causes of long sleepers
While many aspects of what causes long sleepers are still unknown, genetics, constitution, stress, and fatigue are thought to be among the contributing factors.
Genetics
While not definitively proven, it is said that if one of the parents is a long sleeper, their child tends to be a long sleeper as well. However, it has also been pointed out that this might not be genetics, but rather the parent's lifestyle influencing the child.
Constitution
It is also thought that a long sleep duration may be caused by low levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in sleep. Serotonin and dopamine are secreted to induce sleep, but if these secretions are constitutionally low, sleep may be shallower, and the body may require more sleep to fully recover from fatigue.
Stress and fatigue
Normally, stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, making it harder to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality. Therefore, longer sleep is believed to be necessary to stabilize one's mental state. Also, just as people feel sleepy earlier on days when they exercise a lot, when fatigue accumulates, the body needs more sleep to balance the mind and body. Sleep is crucial for relieving stress and recovering from fatigue, but above all, it's important to live a life that doesn't accumulate too much stress and fatigue.
Are long sleepers not classified as an illness?
The prevailing view is that being a long sleeper is a natural disposition, not an illness. While long sleepers certainly need more sleep than the average person, if they get enough sleep for themselves, they can function just like anyone else.
However, being a long sleeper is an innate characteristic. If you've recently noticed concerning sleep symptoms, it could be a sleep disorder. The following are some illnesses and sleep disorders that can cause symptoms similar to those of a long sleeper, such as feeling sleepy during the day even after getting enough sleep:
- Sleep apnea syndrome
- Hypersomnia
- Narcolepsy (a type of hypersomnia)
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome
If you continue to experience concerning symptoms, it's recommended to consult a doctor.
>>What is Narcolepsy? Causes, Symptoms, and Characteristics of Those Prone to It
Disadvantages of being a long sleeper
Are there any disadvantages to being a long sleeper? We'll also introduce research findings on the relationship between sleep duration and lifespan.
Does sleeping for too long shorten your lifespan?
Research conducted in the United States in the 1980s found that sleeping longer may shorten one's lifespan. A study investigating the relationship between sleep duration and lifespan in over 1 million people found that the lowest mortality rate was among those who slept 6.5 to 7.5 hours per day, and those who slept more than 7.5 hours had a mortality rate more than 20% higher.
Dr. Daniel Kripke of the University of California San Diego, who conducted the study, commented, "Sleep is like appetite. Just as overeating at the mercy of desire harms health, too much sleep is also bad for the body."
Similar results were found in an experiment conducted by Professor Akiko Tamakoshi of Hokkaido University, who tracked approximately 100,000 men and women aged 40-79 for 10 years. In this study, the average sleep duration for participants was 7.5 hours for men and 7.1 hours for women. The lowest mortality rate for both sexes was among those who slept 7 hours, and the mortality rate tended to increase for those who slept longer than 7 hours.
The quantity of sleep alone is not enough.
Looking solely at sleep duration, 7 hours of sleep appears to be associated with the longest lifespan, but the quality of sleep is also important, and it cannot be measured by duration alone. In fact, some studies have concluded that for men, approximately 5 hours of sleep is associated with the longest lifespan.
People tend to think of sleep in terms of "hours," but both quantity and quality are important. By maximizing sleep quality, you may be able to achieve satisfactory sleep effects with less sleep time.
Shorter activity time in a day
A unique disadvantage for long sleepers is that they need a lot of sleep, which shortens their active time in a day compared to others.
If the next day is school or work, they may have to go to bed between 8 PM and 9 PM to avoid being late or having their performance decline. This can lead to concerns such as difficulty scheduling evening plans, or having less time for chores, studying, hobbies, and personal activities.
How to fix being a long sleeper
Since being a long sleeper is not an illness, there is no treatment to shorten sleep duration to a typical amount, but it may be improved by enhancing sleep quality. When reducing sleep duration, do so gradually, by 15-30 minutes at a time.
Wake up in the morning and bask in the sunlight.
When you wake up, open the curtains and soak up the sun for about 15 seconds. Exposing yourself to bright light in the morning resets your body clock, and approximately 14-16 hours later, the sleep-regulating hormone "melatonin" will be secreted, allowing you to establish a natural sleep cycle where you feel sleepy at night. This is effective even on cloudy or rainy days.
Keep your waking and sleeping times consistent.
If your waking times differ between weekdays and holidays, or if you often stay up late, it can disrupt your body clock and lead to shallow sleep. It is said that approximately 14-16 hours after your body clock is reset, melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, is secreted, putting you in a state of rest. Try to keep your sleep time within a 2-hour window to maintain a consistent rhythm and body clock.
Relax in lukewarm water before bed.
Taking a bath about 1-2 hours before bedtime in lukewarm water at around 38°C for 25-30 minutes can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, enhancing relaxation and leading to higher quality sleep.
Additionally, the body temperature that temporarily rises during bathing will drop afterward, which can induce sleepiness. For a half-body bath where the water reaches your abdomen, bathing in water at around 40°C for about 30 minutes has a similar effect.
However, be careful not to take a hot bath above 42℃ just before bed, as it can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed.
Alcohol has a depressant effect on the central nervous system, temporarily making you sleepy. However, acetaldehyde, which is produced when alcohol is broken down, has an awakening effect, causing shallow sleep.
Also, drinks high in caffeine stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, making it difficult to fall asleep. People who have a habit of drinking energy drinks, nutritional drinks, coffee, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, or hojicha after dinner should be careful.
Avoid looking at your phone or computer screen before bed.
Blue light emitted from smartphone and computer screens can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, thus hindering it. Not only does it have an awakening effect, but exposure to bright light in bed can also disrupt your body clock, leading to difficulty falling asleep. Therefore, try to digital detox 1-2 hours before bedtime.
How to diagnose if you are a long sleeper
The required duration of sleep varies depending on an individual's constitution and daily activity level. Moreover, there is no precise method to accurately measure the exact hours and minutes of sleep an individual needs, making it difficult to definitively diagnose whether someone is a long sleeper.
Therefore, if you have any concerning sleep symptoms and want to determine if they are due to an illness, you should consult a clinic. If you experience strong daytime sleepiness, you might consult a neurologist or psychiatrist, and if you have loud snoring, an ENT specialist would be appropriate.
Also, there are now sleep clinics, insomnia treatment specialized clinics, and sleep specialized clinics. In addition, keeping a sleep diary is a good way to get a simple check of whether you are a long sleeper. If you have been sleeping for 10 hours or more for over a week and do not experience daytime sleepiness, it is highly likely that you are a long sleeper.
Is it okay if you get deep sleep even as a long sleeper?
Being a long sleeper isn't necessarily a bad thing, but prolonged sleep isn't always good. Even if you sleep for a long time, if the quality of your sleep is poor, your mind and body won't recover from fatigue. Conversely, if your sleep quality is high, you can efficiently rest your body and brain even with less sleep, and wake up with a clear mind, which can lead to increased concentration, a stable mental state without irritability, and improved work performance.
There are many famous long sleepers.
There are many long sleepers among scholars and famous people.
Scholars and Researchers
Albert Einstein, the physicist famous for the "theory of relativity," is said to have slept approximately 10 hours a day. He even had a lock on his bedroom door to keep people out. Furthermore, Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002, is said to be a considerable long sleeper, sleeping 11 hours.
Athletes
Ichiro, famous as a major league baseball player, Tiger Woods, a household name in the golf world, and Hakuho, a sumo grand champion from Mongolia, are also said to be long sleepers.
Manga artists
Shigeru Mizuki, famous as the creator of the popular anime "GeGeGe no Kitaro," is also said to be a long sleeper. Famous people who exhibit unimaginable creativity, concentration, and drive may have their own criteria for the necessary sleep duration, rather than the general concept of sleep hours.
However, long sleepers in modern society often suffer from sleep deprivation due to the large amount of time dedicated to sleep. If a long sleeper continues to experience a lack of necessary sleep, it can lead to health problems. Therefore, it is important to pay attention if you experience daytime sleepiness or fatigue.
It's fine to be a long sleeper as long as you're sleeping well.
We've introduced the characteristics, causes, and improvement methods for long sleepers. Being a long sleeper isn't inherently bad; what's important for mental and physical health is getting the right amount of sleep for yourself. However, for long sleepers who simply can't get enough sleep, focus on sleep quality and learn to manage being a long sleeper effectively.
If you're a long sleeper, check out these recommended items to improve your sleep quality!
At Brain Sleep, we develop various bedding products to meet our customers' sleep needs and concerns. Here are some features and highlights of our recommended items.
1: Know your sleep quality
First, let's check your sleep quality to see if your sleep environment and bedding are suitable. With the 'Brain Sleep Coin' app and device, which uses advanced AI algorithms and sleep research, you can easily uncover everything about your sleep while you're asleep, things you might not notice yourself. All you have to do is wear it to bed.
2: Be particular about bedding.
To improve the quality of sleep, which is said to "occupy one-third of your life," it is important to use bedding that suits you. In particular, reviewing your pillow and mattress can make your sleep time more comfortable.
It's also said that the quality of sleep depends on how deeply you sleep in the first 90 minutes after falling asleep, which is believed to affect sleep quality. In other words, good sleep means smoothly falling into a deep sleep and sustaining it. As a result of improved sleep quality, sleep duration can sometimes be shortened.
