Do you often sleep much longer than you plan to? Has oversleeping become a habit that you can’t control?
(If you think you sleep a lot, but not sure you are a ‘sleep addict’, learn more about how much sleep is too much »)
Everyone oversleeps from time to time (especially on weekends), but if you oversleep too often, with little to no control over it, it’s time to treat it as nothing short of an addiction.
I have struggled with oversleeping for most of my life, and I had managed to not only stop oversleeping, but to become an ‘energetic early riser’. I’m about to give you a road-map to follow, to eliminate the habit of oversleeping from your life…
The 6 Steps to Stop Oversleeping:
Step 1: Decide to ‘Wake Up’!
There’s no easier way to say it – if you oversleep often, it’s because part of you prefers to stay in bed.
Often times, oversleeping is kind of an ’escape mechanism’, a way to get away from reality (with a temporary, but very pleasant illusion of freedom, I have to add).
What are you avoiding or procrastinating on? What do you secretly “gain” from oversleeping?
If you want to stop oversleeping, you’d have to ‘face your demons’ – to uncover the underlying reason you oversleep, and then decide to deal with it, instead of ‘sleeping through it’.
Step 2: Get Motivated to Stop Oversleeping
There is obviously more than one way to do that… but here is a very simple one:
1. Come up with at least one strong reason WHY you want to stop oversleeping. Be as clear and as specific as you can.
TIP: Your “why” must come from your core. It has to ‘strike an emotional chord’. (For example, don’t set a goal to “have more time to study”, when actually thinking of studying makes you sick. It just won’t work! )
2. Write it down as a very positive statement in the present tense. (For example: “I’m very happy and proud of myself, because I wake up easily at 7AM every morning, filled with energy and drive”).
3. Read, write and re-write it often. At the very least review it at bedtime.
Step 3: Change How You Think About Sleeping and Rising
You have to stop thinking things like…
“I need more sleep than the average person”, or -
“I can’t help it. I just love to sleep”, or -
“I hate waking up early”
You have to start thinking about sleep as something you must do in order to survive and nothing more, and you absolutely must believe that you can do great on a normal sleep schedule (which is most likely true.)
Step 4: Commit to a Steady Sleep Schedule
It’s best if you can go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day. At least do you best to wake up at the same time, no matter how long you had slept…
Put the clock away from bed, set a wake up call, ask someone to throw you out of bed, whatever you need to do to make sure you wake up on time.
Be nice to yourself, and don’t ‘beat yourself up’ when you fail to wake up, because it usually only makes things worse. Just learn from your mistakes and adjust.
Step 5: Improve Your Sleep
There are many simple things you can do to get high quality sleep, which will allow you to get more energy from less sleep…
The least you can do is:
- Stick to a consistent sleep schedule
- Avoid caffeine intake in the afternoon
- Avoid nicotine and alcohol close to bedtime
- Expose your eyes to sunlight for at least 2 hours every day
In addition to all the above, you may want to try subliminal audio messages to program you mind to wake up early
Step 6: Reduce Sleep Gradually
- Reduce 30-60 minutes per week (or even two). It might be hard at first. It takes 7-10 days for the body to adjust to a new sleep schedule, so hang in there.
- Don’t overdo it. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep every night, with short (20-40 minutes) naps when needed. Getting by on 4-5 hours of sleep is possible, but should come naturally as a result of lots of other factors (like exercise, nutrition, motivation etc). Don’t set yourself up for failure.
That’s it in a nutshell. If you start following these steps, I believe you can stop oversleeping pretty soon (and when you do, please tell me about it!).
For more tips and resources check out my (free) ‘Wake Up Energetic’ course
Featured Resource:
Wake Up Fresh & Alert
Use this self hypnosis audio program to energise your body and jumpstart your day!
I've never tried it myself, but I do believe in the power of self hypnosis. If you tend to wake up feeling groggy and tired, I suggest that you give it a try...
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I think im really lazy because i have always over slept! but to be honest when i go to bed i find it really hard to sleep…i feel tired but when i get to bed my mind is going at 100 miles an hour and i dont sleep for hours! please help x
I’m a 27 years old am always weak and oversleeping,I don’t like this but wheneva am deciding to wakeup I ask myself what am I gona do if I wake up now,I normally wake up early like 5am to go to loo but when I cum back ill sleep until its noon and when I wake up I feel tired,please help me as this realy annoy me,
Tempza,it sounds like you’re not working at the moment? You must have a plan of what you’re going to do when you get up, preferably something fun.
I‘m delighted to see this sight and from 2day, i‘ll try as much as i can 2 put the above steps into practice. But there‘s this problem i hv about finding it hard to comprehend each time i read for exams. could it be as a result of the much sleep? Am 23 of age a final year student. I realy need u 2 help me sir on what 2 do 2 make anything i read stay put.
Rosemary, your reading difficulty probably doesn’t come directly from oversleeping. It might be some degree of ADHD or some other learning disability. Healthy habits (sleeping well, avoiding sugars, regular exercise etc) can help, but you may also want to get a deeper evaluation. You can either get some kind of consultation, or maybe start by taking this ADHD quiz -> http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm
I keep trying to take the ADHD quiz but I keep getting distracted, and can’t finish. What should I do?
If you can’t finish the test you obviously have an attention problem. Can’t you take breaks and keep coming back it until you finish? I suggest that you get some personal help.
i will sleep more than 10hours a day..i feel lazy the whole day..sometimes head ache will occur..i want to control it..but am not able to do..can u tell me any physical side effects to oversleeping such as weight gain,dark circles,darken skin colour etc..pls make me clear
Bindhu, I’m a bit confused. Do you want to get motivated to stop oversleeping by knowing more about the negative side effects of it? Well, weight gain is a possible one and dark circles around the eyes are also possible. I;m not sure what you mean by “darken skin color”, and this sounds like a symptom of some kind of illness. I would check into that. Look, Bindhu, if you want me to give you specific advice, please try to go through the steps above, and then tell me what exactly you’re having trouble with.
I worked midnights for ten months and at the same time I was going to school full time. Four or five hours of sleep was enough for me at the time and quite frankly, was all I could afford. Since then, I have switched schools and jobs both and I am now on a more relaxed schedule. However, I find myself sleeping nearly twelve and thirteen hours a night. With school starting soon I need to break the habit soon, please help!
Honestly, I think you have nothing to worry about. When school starts, you will adapt.