The once-in-four-years soccer World Cup is here and fans in China are thrilled, but the 11-hour time difference between China and Brazil, the tournament's host this year, is spoiling some of the fun.

Although millions of soccer-crazy Chinese people are staying up night after night to watch as many matches as they can in the monthlong affair, reports of health problems triggered by sleep deprivation are also trickling in.

At least five people have died of strokes and heart attacks, after watching games continuously at nights, according to media reports from Shanghai, and Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces.