These days, it is hard to escape the message that getting enough sleep is critical for the maintenance of mental and physical health. Too much of a good thing can be bad, however. When one examines the medical histories of people with chronic health conditions, a striking trend emerges. Those patients who sleep the most over a period of several weeks are also the most likely to die during that time. This finding holds true even when comparing patients in different age groups and with different diagnoses. Clearly, people – especially those in poor health – should be more aware of the real dangers of getting too much sleep.