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There are several studies (Example 1, Example 2) about the effect of sleep deprivation on alertness and cognitive performance.

Are there any studies investigating the opposite - The effect of too much sleep on alertness, also known as the Rip Van Winkle Effect?

With "alertness" I mean two factors:

  1. subjective mental alertness as reported by test subjects and,
  2. objectively measured cognitive performance.

I am not talking about any health consequences, either long-term or short-term. There is already another question covering that:

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    There is certainly a lot of anecdotal evidence for this - i feel much more sleepy if I over-sleep! Interested to hear of any studies... – Luke Jul 24 '12 at 08:30
  • Apparently not, [according to Einstein](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/7705/did-albert-einstein-sleep-10-11-hours-daily). –  Jul 24 '12 at 13:33
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    Do you have a notable claim that it does? – Chad Jul 24 '12 at 14:47
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    My understanding, from reading and asking doctors about sleep apnea, is that there is no such thing as oversleeping. It does take you longer to wake to full alertness after a deep sleep than after a 20 minute nap. But in general, if you are getting regular, adequate sleep and do not wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day, then you likely have a sleep issue (e.g., sleep apnea). – Jeff Sep 03 '12 at 02:35

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