KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- It seems that just about every ailment out there is linked to whether we’re getting enough sleep or not, and that is certainly no different when it comes to our hearts.

Several studies have proven that too little sleep is hard on our hearts, but now a first-of-its-kind study is pointing to the other extreme, indicating that too much sleep may be even worse.

Debbie Wood doesn’t get her heart checked for any particular reason other than prevention.

"I'm 56, getting older and you wanna make sure you don't have heart disease."

She tries to follow all the heart healthy rules, but sleep seems to always be a problem.

"I wish my sleep patterns were different, I don't sleep enough. They say eight hours but I'm lucky if we get six."

But a new study says the best prevention wood could take may center around the other extreme – not getting too much sleep.

We’re used to hearing that not enough sleep can hurt our hearts, but this study, which focused on more than 93,000 post-menopausal women over a seven-year period, found too much sleep may be even worse.

Compared to the women who slept seven hours a night, those who slept six or fewer hours had a 14 percent higher risk of stroke, while those who slept eight hours had a 24 percent higher risk.

The most interesting numbers are for those who caught nine or more hours of sleep each night. They had a 70 percent higher risk of stroke.

Cardiologist Malcolm Foster isn’t surprised.

"My take on this study is that either extreme seems to be a problem. We've certainly learned that lack of sleep is a problem so I think everything in moderation."

However, Foster and even researchers say that this single study doesn’t prove that long sleepers have an increased risk of stroke, just that it’s an issue that should be discussed with your health care provider.

"It's not a dedicated study per say but an observation, and I think there may be something to it that either extreme may be a problem."

One important note: Researchers in this study looked into other factors such as low socio-economic status and depression, but found even after taking those factors into consideration, they still saw that large increase in long sleepers.

Doctor Foster adds that there are many other things to consider besides sleep in keeping your heart healthy, like daily exercise, eating well, and not smoking.