When 7-year-old Wyatt S. fell asleep for 11 days in 2017, doctors struggled to figure out what was causing his deep fatigue. Ultimately, they determined he was having seizures. He was given seizure medications and woke up the next day, rejoining the world as an active kid.
That may be a world's record for a long sleep, but around 6.5 million Americans struggle with oversleeping — hitting the hay for nine or more hours nightly. Sleeping too long puts you at high risk for a variety of chronic conditions, cardiac events, and premature death.
It can be caused by depression, sleep apnea, thyroid or heart problems, or medications. And a new study reveals that it also may be caused by low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.
That’s one more wonderful reason to eat plenty of salmon. Fresh, fresh-frozen, or canned Alaskan sockeye salmon provides the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any fish — 2,700 mg in a 3 oz. serving.
Other sources of omega-3s include anchovies, sea trout, herring, walnuts, flaxseed oil, and chia seeds. I recommend also taking a supplement of about 1,000 mg per day of DHA algal oil or DHA fish oil.
If you're oversleeping, talk to your doctor about causes and solutions. And ask about taking a fish oil supplement; make sure it won't conflict with medications such as blood thinners and blood pressure meds, or any health issues you have.
Then, rise and shine.