Sleep more or die young?
Oregon Health & Science University
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The connection was consistent
year after year and across most U.S. states. The takeaway is simple but
powerful: getting seven to nine hours of sleep may be one of the best things
you can do for long-term health.
A nationwide analysis found that not getting enough sleep is
strongly linked to shorter life expectancy—more so than poor diet or lack of
exercise. Researchers say this makes sleep one of the most overlooked pillars
of long-term health. Credit: Shutterstock
Getting a full night of sleep may play a larger role in
longevity than many people realize. New research from Oregon Health &
Science University indicates that regularly getting too little sleep is linked
to a shorter lifespan.
The findings were recently published in the journal SLEEP
Advances.
Nationwide Data Reveal Patterns Across the U.S.
To reach their conclusions, researchers analyzed a large
national database, examining survey patterns related to life expectancy across
counties throughout the United States. They compared county-level life
expectancy figures with detailed survey data collected by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention between 2019 and 2025.
When researchers evaluated lifestyle factors tied to how
long people live, sleep stood out clearly. Its association with life expectancy
was stronger than that of diet, physical activity, or social isolation. Smoking
was the only factor that showed a greater influence.
"I didn't expect it to be so strongly correlated to
life expectancy," said senior author Andrew McHill, Ph.D., associate
professor in the OHSU School of Nursing, the OHSU School of Medicine and OHSU's
Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences. "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."
Researchers Surprised by the Strength of the Findings
Much of the work was carried out by graduate students in the
Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory within the OHSU School of Nursing.
While scientists have long recognized that adequate sleep
supports overall health, the authors said they were still struck by how closely
sleep duration tracked with life expectancy. In the analysis, insufficient
sleep outweighed diet and exercise as a predictor of lifespan.
"It's intuitive and makes a lot of sense, but it was
still striking to see it materialize so strongly in all of these models,"
McHill said. "I'm a sleep physiologist who understands the health benefits
of sleep, but the strength of the association between sleep sufficiency and
life expectancy was remarkable to me."
First Study to Track Yearly State-by-State Trends
Previous studies have linked poor sleep to increased risk of
death, but this research is the first to show year-by-year connections between
sleep and life expectancy across every U.S. state. For their models,
researchers used the CDC definition of sufficient sleep as at least seven hours
per night, which aligns with recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Across nearly all states and in each year analyzed, the data
showed a clear relationship between sleep duration and life expectancy.
Why Sleep May Influence Longevity
The study did not examine the biological reasons behind the
connection. However, McHill noted that sleep plays a critical role in heart
health, immune function, and brain performance.
"This research shows that we need to prioritize sleep
at least as much as we do to what we eat or how we exercise," he said.
"Sometimes, we think of sleep as something we can set aside and maybe put
off until later or on the weekend.
"Getting a good night's sleep will improve how you feel
but also how long you live."
Study Authors and Funding
In addition to McHill, the research team included lead
author Kathryn E. McAuliffe, B.S., Madeline R. Wary, B.S., Gemma V. Pleas,
B.A., Kiziah E.S. Pugmire, B.S., Courtney Lysiak, B.A., Nathan F. Dieckmann,
Ph.D., and Brooke M. Shafer, Ph.D.
Funding for the study came from the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award numbers
R01HL156948, R01HL169317 and T32HL083808; the OHSU School of Nursing; and the
Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences through support from the
Division of Consumer and Business Services of the state of Oregon (ORS
656.630).
Story Source:
Materials provided by Oregon Health &
Science University. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.
Journal Reference:
- Kathryn
E McAuliffe, Madeline R Wary, Gemma V Pleas, Kiziah E S Pugmire, Courtney
Lysiak, Nathan F Dieckmann, Brooke M Shafer, Andrew W McHill. Sleep
insufficiency and life expectancy at the state-county level in the United
States, 2019–2025. SLEEP Advances, 8 December 2025 [abstract]
