Insufficient Sleep Linked to Lower Life Expectancy in US Study

Recent research from Oregon Health & Science University examined how sleep duration relates to life expectancy across the United States, highlighting insufficient sleep as a key factor.

The study assessed patterns of sleep and longevity by analyzing county-level data collected between 2019 and 2025. Researchers used information from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare sleep habits with life expectancy in different regions.

Findings from the analysis indicated that routinely getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night was more closely associated with shorter life expectancy than other factors such as diet, physical activity, or loneliness. Only smoking was found to have a stronger association with reduced lifespan among the variables considered.

The definition of sufficient sleep in the study was set at a minimum of seven hours per night. This threshold aligns with guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, which recommend seven to nine hours of nightly sleep for adults.

What the numbers show

• Data covered the years 2019 to 2025 from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
• Sufficient sleep was defined as at least seven hours per night
• The association between insufficient sleep and lower life expectancy was observed in nearly all US states

The relationship between inadequate sleep and reduced life expectancy was consistent across different years and nearly all states included in the analysis. This pattern was confirmed by both the university's findings and external summaries of the research.

According to a summary published by Neuroscience News, insufficient sleep ranked as one of the strongest predictors of lower life expectancy at the county level, with only smoking showing a greater association.

Andrew McHill, Ph.D., who served as the study's senior author, said the strength of the association between sleep sufficiency and life expectancy was notable. He stated that individuals should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night based on the study's findings and established recommendations.

The study's results provide additional evidence supporting the importance of adequate sleep for long-term health outcomes, as measured by life expectancy across diverse US populations.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.