Overview
- Using UK Biobank data on about 500,000 adults, researchers measured 23 organ biological age clocks and found a U-shaped link between nightly sleep and aging across the body.
- The slowest aging appeared in people reporting roughly 6.4 to 7.8 hours of sleep, with faster aging below six hours or above eight.
- Short sleep was linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, and heart rhythm problems, while both extremes were tied to COPD, asthma, gastritis, and reflux.
- The team used a genetic method called Mendelian randomization to probe cause, yet they stress the results show associations and note that long sleep can signal hidden illness rather than cause it.
- Experts say sleep time looks modifiable because few strong genetic ties were found, so they urge steady schedules, good sleep habits, and checks for disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.