Oregon Health & Science University researchers found sleeping fewer than seven hours nightly correlates with reduced life expectancy across all 3,000-plus U.S. counties studied from 2019 to 2025. The pattern held regardless of income levels, healthcare access, or urban versus rural locations. Sleep insufficiency ranked as the second-strongest predictor of shortened lifespans after smoking, surpassing physical inactivity and diabetes. "I didn't expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy," said senior author Andrew McHill, Ph.D. "People really should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible." Neighboring counties showed vastly different sleep patterns with corresponding life expectancy gaps spanning several years, revealing potential targets for local health interventions. (Story URL)
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