Sleeping Too Much Can Be Dangerous, New Research Suggests

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – There's new research on the potential dangers of getting too much sleep.

Sixty-eight percent, an estimated 164 million people, struggle with sleep at least once a week as they don't get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

Being tired is linked to all sorts of health problems, including obesity, moodiness and accidental injuries.

On the flip side, new research says sleeping too much can be dangerous, too.

"They really found that it was the long-sleepers, those that got longer sleep than seven to eight hours of sleep that seemed to be at even higher risk than the shorter sleepers in terms of a whole host of cardiovascular outcomes and also increased mortality," said Dr. Reena Mehra of the Cleveland Clinic.

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The study looked at data from 74 previous studies involving more than 3 million people.

Researchers found that people who slept 10 hours a night or more were 30 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who slept the recommended eight hours.

The study did not look for the potential reasons, but researchers say long sleepers may not get a good quality rest or they may have had underlying health conditions.

Doctors say it's important to establish healthy sleep patterns.

"Seven to eight hours as much as possible and being consistent," said Mehra. "And there's also data, not only on the duration of sleep, quality of sleep, but also on the timing of sleep. So, trying to make sure that we're getting a continuous seven to eight hours, during the nighttime, is the best thing for our health."

Among the things that often prevent people from getting a good night's sleep includes electronics, stress, and alcohol, but regular exercise helps.