Diet and exercise are undoubtedly important factors in terms of living a long, healthy life. But there’s a third pillar that may predict longevity even better: sleep. Six out of every 10 adults in America don’t get enough sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And new research suggests the implications of chronic sleep loss extend far beyond constant daytime yawning and a persistent caffeine addiction.
The study, published in Sleep Advances, examined the relationship between insufficient sleep and life expectancy across U.S. counties, using survey data from across the U.S. between 2019 and 2025. Researchers compared sleep habits with county-level life expectancy while accounting for traditional predictors of mortality, like smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity.
In most states, higher rates of insufficient sleep were consistently linked to lower life expectancy over the six-year period. Counties where fewer residents reported inadequate sleep tended to see longer average lifespans.
Even after factoring in for the traditional predictors of early mortality, insufficient sleep remained a strong predictor of shorter life expectancy. Smoking was the only factor with a stronger association.
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“I didn’t expect [insufficient sleep] to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy,” sleep physiologist and study co-author Andrew McHill, PhD, told Science Alert. “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.”
Importantly, the link between sleep and life expectancy held across communities regardless of income level, access to health care, or geographic location, making sleep a public health issue that affects urban, suburban, and rural populations alike.
Importantly, the relationship between sleep and life expectancy held across communities regardless of income level, access to health care, or geographic location. So sleep health is not only an individual concern, but a societal one.
“This research shows that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as we do what we eat or how we exercise,” McHill said. “Getting a good night’s sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live.”
Related: Why Your Last Hour of Sleep Might Be the Most Important, According to a Top Sleep Scientist
