Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night may do more harm to long-term health than many people realize. A new analysis of national data found that people who regularly slept too little tended to have shorter life expectancy. The link remained strong even after accounting for exercise, education and employment. Among lifestyle factors, only smoking showed a stronger connection to early death.
Researchers compared reported sleep habits with estimates of lifespan and saw the same pattern across multiple models. While the study does not prove that short sleep directly causes a shorter life, the association held regardless of other healthy or unhealthy behaviors. Poor sleep has already been linked to obesity, diabetes, weakened immunity and metabolic problems — all conditions known to raise the risk of early death.
The findings suggest that sleep deserves the same attention as diet and exercise. Unlike genetics, sleep habits can often be changed. Making sleep a priority may not only improve how you feel day to day but also help protect long-term health and longevity.
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