Study: Lack of sleep rivals smoking mortality risk
A peer‑reviewed study in SLEEP Advances led by OHSU’s Andrew McHill finds insufficient sleep is one of the strongest predictors of shorter U.S. life expectancy, second only to smoking, based on CDC survey data from 2019–2025 across 3,000+ counties. Defining sufficient sleep as at least seven hours, researchers mapped county‑level sleep patterns to life expectancy while controlling for smoking, diet, inactivity and loneliness, and cautioned the self‑reported data cannot prove causation.
📌 Key Facts
- Journal: SLEEP Advances; lead author Andrew McHill, Ph.D. (OHSU).
- Dataset: CDC surveys (2019–2025) spanning 3,000+ U.S. counties; sufficient sleep ≥7 hours/night.
- Finding: Insufficient sleep consistently correlates with lower life expectancy after adjusting for major lifestyle factors.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2020, the age-adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration (less than 7 hours per night) was 43.6% among Non-Hispanic Black adults (who comprise approximately 13.7% of the US population), compared to 31.8% among Non-Hispanic White adults (who comprise approximately 57.5% of the US population).
Prevalence and Geographic Patterns of Self-Reported Short Sleep Duration Among US Adults, 2020 — Preventing Chronic Disease (CDC)
In 2020, the age-adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration (less than 7 hours per night) was 46.5% among Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander adults (who comprise approximately 0.3% of the US population), compared to 31.8% among Non-Hispanic White adults.
Prevalence and Geographic Patterns of Self-Reported Short Sleep Duration Among US Adults, 2020 — Preventing Chronic Disease (CDC)
In 2023, life expectancy at birth was 74.0 years for Non-Hispanic Black people (who comprise approximately 13.7% of the US population), compared to 78.4 years for Non-Hispanic White people (who comprise approximately 57.5% of the US population).
United States Life Tables, 2023 — National Vital Statistics Reports (CDC)
Lower socioeconomic status, which disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities, is associated with increased odds of short sleep duration, with low household income and food insecurity correlating with higher sleep latency and non-restorative sleep.
Sleep Health Disparity and Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender: A Systematic Review — Sleep Medicine Research
Environmental factors in minority-concentrated neighborhoods, such as lack of green spaces, unsafe conditions, pollution, and noise, contribute to shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality among racial/ethnic minorities.
Sleep Health Disparity and Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender: A Systematic Review — Sleep Medicine Research
Perceived racial discrimination acts as a chronic stressor that increases the risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality, mediating Black-White disparities in sleep among US adults.
Sleep Health Disparity and Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender: A Systematic Review — Sleep Medicine Research