Rob Lowe Gets ‘An Embarrassing Amount’ of Sleep. Is That Healthy?

Rob Lowe says he gets “an embarrassing amount” of sleep. 

"I get tons of sleep,” Lowe told USA TODAY in an interview published Tuesday, though he declined to give an exact number. "I don't want people to think something is wrong with me. It's a lot of sleep, not 12 hours. But if there's ever 12 [hours] to be had, I'm taking it."

The actor, 59, even sleeps in his SUV between work projects, reclining his seat all the way back for added comfort. 

"I have it down to a science,” Lowe said. “The eye mask, the Bose noise-canceling headphones. And I'm gone."

Lowe is the latest star to divulge particular sleeping habits. Last month, actress Dakota Johnson went viral for saying she can “easily” sleep for 14 hours a day. And Cameron Diaz sparked debate recently after saying she was in favor of getting a “sleep divorce.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults ages 18 to 60 get at least seven hours of sleep, while those 61 to 64 should specifically get between seven and nine, and those 65 and older should get seven to eight hours of sleep. 

Several studies have shown that not getting enough sleep is linked to various health issues, including heightened risk of high blood pressure and blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline and mental health problems. 

But are there health issues associated with getting too much sleep? Here’s what experts want you to know. 

Sleeping too much can be a sign of underlying health issues

To know whether your long sleep sessions are a symptom of a larger health problem, look to your waking hours. 

“If people sleep a lot and they are also fatigued during the day, that’s going to indicate that they’re not getting good quality sleep,” neurobiologist Catherine Franssen, Ph.D., previously told The Messenger. “If they’re fine and functioning perfectly all day, no problem.” 

Feeling tired during the day after a full night’s sleep could be an indicator of a sleep issue such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

Johnson has previously been open about struggling with depression since she was a teenager. Dr. Franssen noted that depression can cause someone to sleep either more or less than the typical person.

Some studies have also shown a correlation between sleeping for long periods of time and chronic illnesses later in life such as heart disease, anxiety or obesity. But “if you’re living an otherwise healthy lifestyle and you’ve ruled out all other health issues, then I wouldn’t worry about it,” Dr. Franssen said.

She added that wealthy celebrities may have access to medical care that the average person doesn’t. For the rest of us, it may be worth consulting a medical professional and having a sleep study done if daytime fatigue persists no matter how much rest you get. 

Some people are just born that way

Sleeping for long periods of time isn’t always an indicator that something is wrong. Some people can be perfectly healthy and just need more rest than the next person. 

“Most people do not get enough sleep,” said Dr. Franssen. 

But most people don’t need 12 or 14, either. Sleep needs are on a spectrum, Dr. Franssen noted: Most fall under the seven to nine-hour category. Others need less and others need more.

Research has also indicated that genetics may play a role in how much sleep you need, though researchers are still looking into exactly why that can vary, per Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Health. 

Is it OK to sleep for 12 hours? 

Ultimately, Dr. Franssen sees celebrities going viral for sharing their sleep habits as a positive. 

“I think a lot of times people brag about only getting four hours of sleep,” Dr. Franssen said. “That’s [perceived as] OK, but it’s not OK to sleep more? We shouldn’t judge people on their different biological rhythms.” 

Going to bed and waking up at similar times every day has been shown in studies to be the most beneficial to one’s health. So while it may not be the best practice to sleep extra hours on the weekend, Dr. Franssen acknowledged that people sometimes simply just need some more sleep. 

“In an ideal world, you go to bed at a set time, you wake up at a set time and have a consistent amount of sleep in between,” Dr. Franssen said. “We all know life happens and we don’t always get to do those things..” 

If celebrities’ comments can spark interest about how to get better sleep, then Dr. Franssen is all for it. Just don’t sleep-shame them for it, she says. 

“One of the biggest things we could do as a society is have those conversations [on sleep hygiene] in a really healthy, supportive way as opposed to tearing each other down by saying, ‘You’re sleeping too much.’”