Sleep Duration Outperforms Diet and Exercise as a Predictor of Longevity in New US Study
A new observational study from Oregon Health & Science University finds that insufficient sleep (less than seven hours per night) is a stronger predictor of lower life expectancy than diet or exercise. The analysis, published in Sleep Advances, used county-level US survey data from 2019 to 2025. While smoking and obesity showed even stronger associations with reduced lifespan, sleep remained a significant factor after controlling for physical inactivity, employment, and education. Researchers emphasize that while the study cannot prove causation, adequate sleep is a modifiable behavior linked to critical health outcomes.