Insufficient sleep may cut life expectancy, with new research finding it is more strongly linked to longevity than diet, exercise or loneliness.
The study, conducted by Oregon Health & Science University, compared average life expectancy data with comprehensive survey information collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As a behavioural driver for life expectancy, sleep stood out more than any other factor except smoking, according to researchers who analysed county-level data across the US between 2019 and 2025.
Senior author Andrew McHill, associate professor in the OHSU School of Nursing and School of Medicine, said: “I didn’t expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy.
“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.”
Although previous research has linked poor sleep to higher mortality risk, the new work is said to be the first to reveal year-to-year correlations between sleep and life expectancy for every US state.
The CDC defines sufficient sleep as at least seven hours a night.
The statistical analysis did not examine why inadequate sleep appears to shorten life expectancy, but McHill noted that sleep influences cardiovascular health (the heart and blood vessels), the immune system and brain function.
“This research shows that we need to prioritise 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.”