We all want to live long and healthy lives. Sleep is a big piece of that goal. But we have to get the sleep recipe just right.

Like any recipe, too much or too little of any ingredient spoils a dish.

Indeed, scientists have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep, or sleep too much, can be prone to a host of physical problems. Those include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.

A recent study suggests that moderate-to-vogorous physical activity can counteract the risk of poor sleeping habits. European scientists say exercise appears to level off the health risks of either slumber extreme.

This investigation said the sweet spot on sleep is anywhere from six to eight hours.

Researchers tapped the UK Biobank, a database of many thousands of Brits that includes a host of data about individual health and lifestyle. They analyzed information from 92,000 people who wore a wrist device that records movement. Participants, ages 40 to 73, were tracked over several years.

Risk of death for the short-sleepers who didn’t exercise much increased by 17%. It rose by 37% for the long-sleepers.

But here’s the kicker: Short- or long-duration sleep was not associated with any heightened risk of death for those who exercised extensively. These folks could sleep all day or stay up all night.

Of course, it’s best to follow healthy sleeping patterns and also get ample exercise. But for those who regularly pull all-nighters or sleep 11 hours a day, a trip to the gym for a vigorous workout once in a while might be a good idea.