Staying up late to squeeze more out of the day may come with a long-term cost: a new study has linked insufficient sleep with a lower life expectancy.
Poor sleep has long been associated with a range of health problems and shorter lifespans. However, this latest analysis suggests that getting enough sleep may be even more strongly connected with living longer than diet and exercise-two factors widely recognised for adding years to life.
How the researchers linked insufficient sleep to life expectancy
Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) analysed survey data collected across the United States between 2019 and 2025. They compared measures of life expectancy with people’s self-reported sleep duration.
In the study, less than seven hours of sleep per night was treated as the threshold for insufficient sleep.
Accounting for other factors (and what still stood out)
To reduce the chance that other circumstances were driving the results, the team also included additional variables known to influence life expectancy, such as:
- Physical inactivity
- Employment status
- Educational level
Even after these factors were taken into account, the relationship between insufficient sleep and lower life expectancy remained. Among the influences examined, only smoking showed a stronger association.
“I didn’t expect [insufficient sleep] to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy,” said OHSU sleep physiologist Andrew McHill. “We’ve always thought sleep is important, but this research really drives that point home: people really should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible.”
What an observational study can-and can’t-prove
Because the research is observational, it cannot demonstrate that sleeping less directly shaves months or years off someone’s life. It also cannot fully separate the intricate ways sleep interacts with diet and exercise.
Even so, the findings indicate that nightly sleep duration is a meaningful marker of long-term health-one that appears to track closely with life expectancy.
Why sleep loss may matter for long-term health
Adequate sleep supports virtually every part of health. Even one missed night can affect brain circuitry and the immune system, among other functions.
The researchers note that it is plausible for sleep-related health impacts to contribute to mortality over time. They particularly highlight obesity and diabetes-both linked with poor sleep-as conditions that may help explain the connection with reduced life expectancy.
“It’s intuitive and makes a lot of sense, but it was still striking to see it materialise so strongly in all of these models,” McHill said. “Getting a good night’s sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live.”
Sleep routines can be changed-within real-life limits
A practical takeaway is that sleep habits are at least partly modifiable, even if they are constrained by caring responsibilities and work schedules.
Small adjustments may help, such as:
- Dropping the habit of doomscrolling in bed
- Fitting in calming movement practices like yoga or tai chi from time to time
Recommendations: at least seven hours, ideally seven to nine
Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society advise getting at least seven hours of sleep per night. There is also some evidence that people may be able to make up for short nights at weekends if necessary-though that does not mean weekday sleep can be ignored without consequences.
“This research shows that we need to prioritise sleep at least as much as we do what we eat or how we exercise,” McHill said. “Getting a good night’s sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live.”
A wider view: sleep opportunity, stress and shift work
It is also worth recognising that sleep duration is not determined by willpower alone. Stress, long commutes, irregular schedules and shift work can all reduce “sleep opportunity”, making seven to nine hours difficult to achieve consistently. In those situations, changes such as keeping a steady wake time, limiting late caffeine, and creating a darker, quieter sleeping environment may improve sleep quality even when total time in bed is restricted.
If persistent insomnia, loud snoring, or excessive daytime sleepiness is present, seeking professional advice can be important-both for day-to-day wellbeing and because untreated sleep disorders may undermine efforts to improve sleep duration.
The study has been published in Sleep Advances.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a Comment