The Resmed's 2025 Global Sleep Survey is out and has drawn a remarkable conclusion. "t’s a paradox of modern life—sleep quality is falling short even…
At first, it sounds alarming—and the headlines read accordingly: “Too much sleep can shorten your life.” Once again, a new study confirms the link between long sleep duration and an increased risk of mortality. But finally, something that has long been overdue in sleep and health research is happening: causality is being questioned. It is not long sleep itself that leads to death, but the illnesses that make long sleep necessary in the first place.
What the new study really says
The latest analysis of data from more than 39 years of observation and over 1.6 million people (based on aggregated studies) shows a significantly increased mortality rate among people who regularly sleep more than 9 hours per night. This finding is not new; similar results have been reported over the past two decades. What has changed, however, is the view of the cause.
Instead of assuming, as was previously the case, that “too much sleep” is unhealthy, the current study recognizes that long sleep is often a symptom, an indication of underlying health problems such as:
- chronic inflammation,
- Cardiovascular diseases,
- depressive disorders,
- neurodegenerative diseases,
- or even an early response by the body to metabolic imbalances.
This clearly shows that: It is not sleep that is pathological. The illness alters sleep.
A change of perspective that was long overdue
In previous articles and discussions, I have repeatedly pointed out that the statement “more than 9 hours of sleep is dangerous” is a misleading simplification. It reverses cause and effect and can even be harmful because it causes people to artificially shorten their sleep even though their bodies are demanding rest for good reason.
The human organism is highly intelligent. If it regularly demands more than 9 hours of sleep, this should not be ignored or pathologized, but rather be cause for honest and thorough introspection.
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What too much sleep can actually mean
In my work, I see it time and time again: people who suddenly start sleeping a lot feel guilty or “not normal.” Some try to counteract this with alarm clocks, caffeine, or sleep interruption instead of asking, “Why is my body so tired?”
Persistent longer sleep can be a sign of:
- increased detoxification,
- physical healing processes,
- imbalanced hormonal regulation,
- emotional overload or processing,
- Or simply chronic exhaustion that has never been properly treated.
The key: quality over quantity
Much more important than the number of hours is the question: How is the quality of your sleep?
A person who sleeps 9.5 hours and wakes up feeling refreshed may live healthier than someone who struggles out of bed after 6 hours feeling unrested but believes they have “done everything right.”
Sleep architecture, i.e. the depth and cycles of sleep, often says more about health than mere duration. There is far too little differentiation in the public debate on this issue.
The danger of shifting blame
When people hear that “too much sleep can be deadly,” they quickly get the impression that “it’s my own fault if I get sick->I slept too much.”
This is a dangerous reversal that is not only scientifically incorrect but also psychologically toxic.
We need to move away from a narrative of blame and toward an understanding view of the body’s signals.
Longer sleep is often an alarm signal that says, “Something is wrong, please take a look.”
Those who respond with discipline, time pressure, or self-reproach only distance themselves further from the solution.
What to do now – practical recommendations
If you regularly sleep more than 9 hours and still feel tired, groggy, or empty, then the first step is not to reduce your sleep, but to find the cause:
- Have your blood count checked (inflammation levels, thyroid, nutrient status).
- Check your mental balance – stress, excessive demands, suppressed emotions.
- Watch out for silent sources of inflammation – dental health, gut health, environmental pollution.
- Observe your rhythm – are there periods when you wake up during the night? Interruptions?
- And: Treat yourself to some real rest – not just sleep, but also inner peace.
Conclusion: The body is not an enemy
We live in a society that values performance over regeneration. Where tiredness is seen as weakness and sleep as wasted time.
Yet sleep is one of the most intelligent and profound self-healing functions known to the human organism.
Instead of suspecting them, we should appreciate them.
And instead of fighting symptoms, we should investigate their causes.
I hope that this study will spark a change in thinking—
not only in research, but also in everyday life,
in how we view ourselves and our sleep.
Because sleep is not the enemy.
It is a friend that tells us
when we should stop fighting ourselves.
Further article on this topic: Is 7 hours of sleep enough?
