How one small change to your sleep routine could help you live longer

A recent study suggests that sleep is not just about feeling rested — it could play a decisive role in how long we live. The research indicates that our nightly routines may have a measurable impact on mortality risk, potentially adding years to life when done well.

The findings come from a major analysis by Vitality in collaboration with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which examined sleeping habits across 47 million nights of tracked sleep. By linking this data with long-term health outcomes, researchers were able to explore how sleep duration and regularity relate to survival itself.

Researchers compared Vitality members who had died with people of similar age, sex and health profiles who were still living, allowing them to model differences in mortality risk.

What emerged was a sharp divide between good and poor sleepers. Sleep duration alone was linked to a roughly 4 per cent reduction in mortality risk, while sleep regularity had a much stronger association, cutting risk by around 31 per cent when looked at in isolation.

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Put together, the impact becomes harder to ignore, according to the survey.

Someone who starts sleeping more than seven hours a night and sticks to a consistent bedtime could lower their risk of death by an estimated 24 per cent compared with people who sleep less than seven hours and go to bed at irregular times.

Based on current life expectancy — between 76 and 82 years for men and 81 to 87 years for women across countries including the UK, US, Australia and much of Europe — better sleep could add roughly two to four extra years of life. And those additional years are likely to be healthier ones. The earlier good sleep habits are established, the more powerful the effect appears to be over a lifetime.

"Assuming just 25 per cent of poor sleepers adequately improve their sleep, the US alone would see more than 190 million life-years saved," the study claims.

The size of the effect is said to put sleep in the same league as other major drivers of longevity, such as diet, exercise, body weight and blood pressure.

There is also a financial argument for taking sleep more seriously. Healthier sleep habits are linked to lower hospital admissions, saving up to $287 per person each year in healthcare costs.

For sleep researchers, the findings reinforce what has been building for years. Dr Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science, describes sleep as foundational rather than optional.

"Sleep is the most effective way to rest our mind and body each day. There is no organ system in the body, or any operation in our mind, that isn't enhanced by good sleep and impaired by poor sleep," he said.

"Sleep influences everything from cardiovascular and metabolic function to mental well-being. Regular, sufficient sleep, seven to eight hours per night, with consistent bed and wake times, is not only restorative but also preventative."

You should also read...

• Working from your bed can lead to major health issues, experts reveal
• Scientist explains the three key reasons why 'morning glory' happens

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