N+1 query patterns and ORM inefficiencies create excessive database load

ORM-generated queries are inefficient, N+1 patterns creep into the workload, or application over-fetches data. Same query runs hundreds of times per second, causing small inefficiencies to compound into significant load.

Review application query patterns for N+1 problems where a loop issues separate queries instead of joining. Audit ORM-generated SQL for efficiency. Look for over-fetching where the application retrieves more data than needed. Optimize by batching queries, using joins, and fetching only required columns. Application logic is upstream of PostgreSQL—fix at the source.