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Researchers found clear correlations in each year and in most U.S. states between sleep and life expectancy. Credit: Neuroscience News<\/p>\nSummary: A new nationwide analysis shows that getting fewer than seven hours of sleep a night is one of the strongest predictors of shorter life expectancy across U.S. counties. Sleep sufficiency outperformed other behavioral factors\u2014including diet, exercise, and loneliness\u2014with only smoking showing a stronger association.<\/p>\n
The findings reveal a consistent year-to-year correlation between sleep duration and lifespan in nearly every state. Researchers say the results underscore the urgent need to treat sleep as a core pillar of long-term health rather than a luxury.<\/p>\n
Key Facts<\/p>\n
Sleep Outranks Other Factors: Insufficient sleep predicted shorter life expectancy more strongly than diet, exercise, or loneliness.Nationwide Pattern: Correlations appeared across almost every U.S. state from 2019\u20132025.Health Impact: Sleep affects cardiovascular, immune, and brain function, offering multiple pathways to longevity.<\/p>\n
Source: Oregon Health and Science University<\/p>\n
A good night\u2019s sleep is more than a luxury: New research from Oregon Health & Science University suggests that insufficient sleep may shorten your life.<\/p>\n
The study\u00a0published today\u00a0in the journal\u00a0SLEEP Advances.<\/p>\n
Researchers tapped a vast, nationwide database looking for survey trends associated with average life expectancy county by county. They compared county-level data about average life expectancy with comprehensive survey data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2019 and 2025.<\/p>\n
Researchers found clear correlations in each year and in most U.S. states between sleep and life expectancy. Credit: Neuroscience News<\/p>\n
As a behavioral driver for life expectancy, sleep stood out more than diet, more than exercise, more than loneliness \u2014 indeed, more than any other factor except smoking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy,\u201d said senior author\u00a0Andrew McHill, Ph.D., associate professor in the OHSU School of Nursing, the OHSU School of Medicine and OHSU\u2019s Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The research was conducted primarily by graduate students in the Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory of the OHSU School of Nursing.<\/p>\n
Scientists have broadly understood the importance of sufficient sleep for a variety of positive health outcomes. However, McHill and co-authors said they were surprised by the strength of the connection to life expectancy. The effect of insufficient sleep swamped the impact of diet and exercise as a predictor of life expectancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s intuitive and makes a lot of sense, but it was still striking to see it materialize so strongly in all of these models,\u201d McHill said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although previous research has shown broadly that lack of adequate sleep leads to higher mortality risk, the new research is the first to reveal year-to-year correlations between sleep and life expectancy for every U.S. state.<\/p>\n
For the purpose of modeling, the CDC defined sufficient sleep as at least seven hours a night, which is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.<\/p>\n
Researchers found clear correlations in each year and in most U.S. states between sleep and life expectancy.<\/p>\n
The statistical analysis did not delve into reasons why inadequate sleep appears to shorten life expectancy, but McHill noted that sleep influences cardiovascular health, the immune system and brain function.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis research shows that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as we do to what we eat or how we exercise,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes, we think of sleep as something we can set aside and maybe put off until later or on the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting a good night\u2019s sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to McHill, co-authors include lead author\u00a0Kathryn E. McAuliffe, B.S.,\u00a0Madeline R. Wary, B.S.,\u00a0Gemma V. Pleas, B.A.,\u00a0Kiziah E.S. Pugmire, B.S.,\u00a0Courtney Lysiak, B.A.,\u00a0Nathan F. Dieckmann, Ph.D., and\u00a0Brooke M. Shafer, Ph.D.<\/p>\n
Funding: The research was supported by 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 by the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences by way of funding from the Division of Consumer and Business Services of the state of Oregon (ORS 656.630).<\/p>\n
Key Questions Answered:Q: How strongly does insufficient sleep relate to life expectancy?<\/p>\n
A: It is one of the top behavioral predictors, surpassed only by smoking in its association with shorter lifespan.<\/p>\n
Q: What counts as sufficient sleep in this study?<\/p>\n
A: Seven hours or more per night, consistent with national sleep guidelines.<\/p>\n
Q: Why might lack of sleep reduce lifespan?<\/p>\n
A: Sleep influences cardiovascular health, immune function, metabolic processes, and brain health, all of which affect long-term disease risk.<\/p>\n
Editorial Notes:This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.Journal paper reviewed in full.Additional context added by our staff.About this sleep and life span research news<\/p>\n
Author: Erik Robinson<\/a>
Source: Oregon Health and Science University<\/a>
Contact: Erik Robinson \u2013 Oregon Health and Science University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News<\/p>\n