World Cup 2014: Fan In China Allegedly Dies From Sleep Deprivation While Watching FIFA Games

The 2014 FIFA World Cup has taken over the world, but a recent story suggests some fans have gone too far in keeping up with the world football tournament. According to reports, a man in China allegedly died of sleep deprivation from continuously watching the 2014 World Cup events.

Though the cause of death wasn't directly linked to the World Cup, since the man perished from apparent sleep deprivation and the games air in China in the early morning hours, we assume that the link isn't too distant. China and Brazil are separated by about 11 hours, so fans are staying up to around 3AM and 6AM to watch the games. Though China isn't even represented in this year's tournament after not qualifying, fans still watch the games since football is so popular in the country and worldwide (except USA).

China Daily reports:

Doctors in the Xiangcheng People's Hospital to which he was sent said they suspect his death was linked to staying up late watching the games, which are taking place in the middle of the night in China due to the time difference with tournament host country Brazil. Although the doctors did not specify what exactly may have caused this fatality, exhaustion or a heart attack are possible factors. They warned football fans to be cautious about their health.

According to other reports, some fans dealing with the time zone difference have even purchased fake doctors' notes to get out of work in order to catch up on sleep.

So make sure you and your family are practicing safe World Cup viewing habits during the games because something tragic like this could easily happen!