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Oversleeping and inadequate sleeping puts one at increased risk of ulcerative colitis, a new study claims.

Inadequate sleep has been linked with several disorders including heart disease and cancer. Brain heath is also affected in people who do not get the recommended eight- hour sleep. Past studies have shown that oversleeping can pose similar health risks. The new study shows that those who sleep less than six hours or more than nine hours, are at higher risk of ulcerative colitis, an inflammable disease of the colon.

The study comprised nurses who were enrolled in the nurse health studies in the past and who were followed later with questionnaires. Based on analysis of the questionnaire data, the study's researchers found that lack of sleep and excess sleep up the risk of colitis.  

"Both short and long durations of sleep have important health implications and are associated with increased overall mortality, cardiovascular disease and cance. Our findings indicate that ulcerative colitis may potentially be added to this list. We found that less than six hours of sleep per day and more than nine hours of sleep per day are each associated with an increased risk of ulcerative colitis," said lead study author Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan of Massachusetts General Hospital, in a press release. 

A similar study in the past by Dr. Ananthakrishnanan showed that those with Crohn's disease had a two-fold increased risk of replace when in remission if they did not have quality sleep.

"All these data together support a growing recognition of the impact of sleep disruption on the immune system, and the need for providers to frequently inquire about sleep duration and quality as an important parameter of health in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases," said Dr. Ananthakrishnan.

The researchers said further studies can shed light on the mechanism behind the association between sleep and gastrointestinal disorders. 

The findings were published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.