Sleep linked to slower ageing: huge study pinpoints the right amount
Nature • • health
Key Points:
- A large study of over half a million adults found that sleeping about six to eight hours per day is linked to a lower risk of early death and disease, with both shorter and longer sleep durations associated with accelerated biological ageing.
- Ageing was assessed using nearly two dozen biological ageing clocks, providing a comprehensive view of how sleep duration impacts the body, though the study does not prove causation or that six to eight hours is optimal for everyone.
- Experts suggest that sleep, which affects all organs and is modifiable, could be a practical target for reducing age-related disease risk.
- Previous research supports a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and biological ageing, with around seven hours of sleep associated with the least ageing acceleration.
- The study found few genetic links to abnormal sleep patterns, implying that environmental factors play a larger role and that sleep habits can potentially be changed to improve health outcomes.