Not Getting 7 Hours of Sleep May Shorten Your Life, Study Suggests

Getting enough sleep may matter more to your lifespan than many people think. A new study from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in the United States has found that regularly sleeping less than seven hours a night is strongly linked to a shorter life expectancy.

The research, published in the journal SLEEP Advances, analysed nationwide data to understand how lifestyle habits affect how long people live. Researchers compared county-level life expectancy figures across the United States with health and lifestyle survey data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2019 and 2025.

The study found that insufficient sleep had a stronger link to shorter life expectancy than factors such as poor diet, low physical activity, or social isolation. Smoking was the only factor that showed a greater impact.

Dr. Andrew McHill, senior author of the study and associate professor at OHSU, said these findings show how critical sleep really is and people should try to get seven to nine hours of sleep whenever possible.

Researchers said sleep plays an essential role in heart health, immune function, and brain performance and poor sleep may quietly weaken these systems over time.

Sleep should be treated as a basic pillar of health, just like diet and exercise. Prioritising a good night’s rest may not only help individuals feel better day to day, but could also help them live longer, experts said.

Source: Science Daily