The benefits of staying up late may shorten your life, according to a new study that links sleep deprivation to lower life expectancy.
While poor sleep quality has previously been linked to a range of health problems and shortened lifespan, this latest survey finds that adequate sleep is more strongly associated with longevity than diet and exercise – factors that are known to extend lifespan.
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) analyzed survey data from across the United States, covering 2019 to 2025.
Life expectancy measurements were compared with self-reported sleep duration assessments, with less than seven hours per night considered the threshold for sleep deprivation.
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They then considered other variables that may affect life expectancy, including physical inactivity, employment status and education level. The link between sleep deprivation and reduced life expectancy remains. Only smoking had a stronger link.
“I didn’t expect [insufficient sleep] It’s closely related to life expectancy,” said OHSU sleep physiologist Andrew McHill.
“We’ve always thought sleep is important, but this study really proves it: People should really strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if possible.”
Life expectancy has a stronger relationship with sleep than with many other factors, including diet and exercise. Still, as this figure shows, physical activity and social connections also affect life expectancy. (McAuliffe et al., sleep advanced2025)
As a purely observational study, this study cannot prove that sleep deprivation shortens your life by months or years.
Studies like this also fail to tease out the complex interactions between sleep, diet and exercise. The results do suggest that the amount of sleep you get each night is an important indicator of long-term health.
Getting enough sleep is critical to nearly every aspect of our health: missing a night’s sleep, for example, can affect brain circuits and the body’s immune system.
It is not unreasonable that such health problems may contribute to mortality in the long term. The researchers highlighted obesity and diabetes as two conditions associated with poor sleep that may shorten life expectancy.
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“It’s intuitive and makes sense, but it’s still shocking to see it implemented so strongly across all of these models,” McHill said.
“A good night’s sleep not only improves how you feel, it also extends your life.”
The good news is that our sleep habits can be adjusted, at least to some extent, within the confines of our caregiving and work commitments.
It might be worth kicking the habit of rolling around in bed, or doing some yoga or tai chi now and again.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Association both recommend getting at least seven hours of sleep each night, although there is some evidence that you can catch up on weekends if needed.
“This study suggests that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as how we eat or exercise,” McHill said.
“A good night’s sleep not only improves how you feel, it also extends your life.”
The study was published in sleep progress.