A nationwide study finds that not getting enough sleep affects longevity more than diet or exercise. Most people know what it feels like after a bad night’s sleep: you’re tired, irritable, and often reaching for more coffee. But new research shows that missing out on sleep, night after night, can have far more serious effects than just a sluggish morning. According to a recent study, regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep may actually shorten your life and is linked with decreased life expectancy.
One Detail Stands Out in the Newest Health Study
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University examined the impact of insufficient sleep using health data collected nationwide. By analyzing survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2019 and 2025, they compared county-level life expectancy with lifestyle habits such as physical activity, diet, and social routines.
The study revealed that insufficient sleep is a stronger predictor of life expectancy than even healthy eating or exercise routines. Only smoking had a greater association with decreased life expectancy. The research team found that sleep sufficiency and life expectancy were closely linked, highlighting the effects of sleep on overall health.
Senior researcher Andrew McHill, PhD, explained, “I didn’t expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy.” His team at the Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory noted that sleep’s influence on lifespan surpassed their initial expectations, further emphasizing the importance of sleep medicine in public health.
The Data Reveals a Pattern Few Expected
Even experienced sleep medicine professionals were surprised by the consistent association between hours of sleep and longevity. Graduate students repeatedly checked the data, confirming that sleep durations and life expectancy were strongly correlated across counties.
McHill, who has spent years studying the impact of sleep deprivation, said, “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.” The study consistently found that areas with more poor sleep or sleep restriction also had shorter average lifespans.
While previous research connected inadequate sleep to a higher risk of death, this is the first study to compare year-to-year correlations between sleep and life expectancy across every state, using the CDC’s guideline of at least seven hours per night as the standard for sufficient sleep.
The Real Reason Sleep Is Hard to Ignore
Though the study did not delve into the specific biological mechanisms, McHill pointed out that sleep is essential for the heart, brain, and immune system. These systems are all tied to how long people live and how well they feel day to day, reinforcing why getting enough sleep is a crucial public health issue.
Unlike diet or exercise, sleep is a basic need that is often sacrificed in today’s fast-paced world, despite its strong association with health outcomes. The findings suggest that prioritizing sleep could be as important as other lifestyle factors for longevity.
“This research shows that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as we do to what we eat or how we exercise,” McHill said. The findings were published in the journal SLEEP Advances, adding to advances in sleep research that highlight the importance of nightly sleep for long-term well-being.
How Much Rest Is the Right Amount
Seven hours of sleep per night was named as the minimum for good health, in line with American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines. People who regularly got less than this amount were more likely to have shorter lives in nearly every state studied, reinforcing the risks of sleep deprivation.
A New Way of Thinking About Health Emerges
What does this mean for daily life? The researchers hope their work will encourage individuals and health officials to pay closer attention to sleep as a vital part of overall health. Prioritizing sleep sufficiency and life expectancy is not just about feeling alert—it’s about protecting your health for years to come.
As McHill put it, people really should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible. While that can be challenging with busy schedules, making sleep a priority could be one of the simplest ways to improve how you feel and add years to your life.
In summary, the team believes that sufficient sleep not only helps you feel better each day but could also help you live longer. As more data collection and research continue, it may be time to treat sleep as seriously as diet and exercise in the conversation about public health.
If you’re not sure how much sleep you actually get every night and need advice on how to improve your bed routine, the Sleepal App, paired with Apple Watch or Ring, or, coming soon, the Sleepal AI Lamp, could provide the insight you need.