Study details and key findings

For the study, researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) analyzed data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys from 2019 to 2025 to determine the impact of insufficient sleep on life expectancy. The BRFSS includes questions on several risk behaviors that affect health status (such as smoking and sleep duration) and chronic conditions (such as obesity and diabetes).

For modeling purposes, the researchers used CDC's definition of sufficient sleep, which was at least seven hours a night. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society also recommend getting at least seven hours of sleep a night.

Overall, the researchers found that insufficient sleep was significantly negatively correlated with life expectancy in most U.S. states. In 2019, 84% had a significant association, which increased to 100% in 2024. In 2025, only three states did not have an association between sleep insufficiency and lower life expectancy.

"Identifying sleep insufficiency as a contributing factor to lower life expectancy at the United States county level has great implications for public health improvement," the researchers wrote. "Sleep health is a modifiable health behavior that can be further investigated to find potential interventions to improve health outcomes and increase life expectancy across communities in the United States."

Commentary

Andrew McHill, an associate professor in OHSU's School of Nursing, School of Medicine, and Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and the study's senior author, said he "didn't expect [insufficient sleep] to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy."

"It's intuitive and makes a lot of sense, but it was still striking to see it materialize so strongly in all of these models," McHill said. "I'm a sleep physiologist who understands the health benefits of sleep, but the strength of the association between sleep sufficiency and life expectancy was remarkable to me."

Although the study did not analyze any potential reasons for why insufficient sleep was associated with shorter life expectancy, McHill noted that sleep impacts cardiovascular health, the immune system, and brain function.

To help improve your sleep, here are some expert-backed tips:

• Dedicate seven to nine hours for sleep
• Create a consistent sleep schedule, including on weekends and holidays
• Develop a soothing pre-sleep wind down ritual like listening to relaxing music, doing deep breathing exercises, or stretching
• Avoid the use of phones, tablets, or TV within one hour of sleep
• Dim the lights and potentially lower the temperature in your room before sleep

If you're still struggling to sleep, you can talk to your primary care provider, who may refer you to a sleep specialist. A doctor will discuss your health and sleep history with you, including whether you snore or wake up with headaches, and rule out any underlying health issues that could be impacting your sleep. They might also recommend you be part of a sleep study to get more information about your sleep issues and find the best treatment.