Too much sleep might be harming you: Study links 9+ hour sleep to 34% higher risk of early death

Sleep is an important part of an individual's overall health and well-being. Getting a good night's sleep is extremely crucial, as it helps your body to get the rest it needs and also repair itself. While people have time and again been reminded of the dangers of poor sleep, there's little to no conversation around too much sleep. A recent study highlights how excess sleep impacts your health. 

The study analysed data from 79 previous studies that tracked people for at least a year to understand how sleep influences health and death risks. The researchers found that people who slept less than seven hours per night have a 14 per cent higher risk of death. They were compared to individuals who slept between seven to eight hours every night. 

What the latest study found about sleep and death risk

After analysing the data, the researchers found that people who sleep every day for more than 9 hours have a 34 per cent higher risk of early death. The results of this study are similar to a study that was



conducted in 2018. The 2018 analysis was done from 74 other studies, which spanned from one to 30 years. 

This study found that sleeping for more than 9 hours was linked to a 14 per cent increase in early death. 

How many hours of sleep do you actually need?

Harvard Health says that for most healthy adults, at least seven hours of slumber is suggested. But these are general recommendations and not strict rules. Eric Zhou with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School says, "Some people need less than seven hours, while others might need more."

According to the Sleep Foundation, healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night. "Getting less than seven hours has been linked to a weakened immune system, reduced job performance, and a heightened risk of accidents (including car accidents). An ongoing lack of sleep is also associated with many serious health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and depression."