People who get less sleep consistently are more likely to die earlier

Question

Sleep is extremely important for the human body. Studies have found that those who get less than six hours of sleep consistently are more likely to die earlier than those who get more sleep.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/may/05/sleep-study-premature-death

Comments

I agree with this one hundred percent but my question would be how much earlier exactly do they die. Whats the numbers on average, because sleep is vitally important.

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The article you used seems very good and the study was really interesting however I believe it missed other potential factors that cause sleep loss and even contribute to a quicker death such as any illnesses or diseases, or stress throughout life. As well as how much it will affect your lifespan and if the difference is really such a problem that people will start sleeping more.

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Great comment. I definitely agree. You use a well-trusted source and raise major health concerns like diabetes and the chance of stroke.

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This is a great point. The article you used outlines why sleep is so essential for overall health. It especially goes into depth as to how getting enough sleep also improves good cognitive function, mood, and your physical health.

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Aside from life span there are health concerns that may arise due to lack of sleep. Which may be the main factor on individuals with less sleep lifespan?
source: https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/how-quality-sleep-impacts-your-lifespan/

Answer 1

Persistent sleep deprivation does increase the risk of dying young. The Guardian writes about a large sleep study tracked for 25 years, out of the 1.3 million subjects tracked, short sleepers slept less than six hours a night, and happened to die earlier than those who slept for seven or eight hours each night. Long-term sleep deprivation has been associated with deprivation has been associated with serious health conditions that potentially shorten one's life span.

Source:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/may/05/sleep-study-premature-death

Answer 2

Regularly getting too little sleep is linked to a higher chance of dying young. Both short and extended sleep durations have been associated with increased mortality rates, according to research. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, people who said they slept fewer than seven hours a night were more likely to die from all causes.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2864873/ 

In a similar vein, a big study with over 1.1 million participants found that a significantly higher risk of death was linked to both short (less than 6 hours) and extended (8 hours or more) sleep lengths. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11825133/

A lack of sleep can also result in injuries, poor productivity, mental and physical health issues, and even an increased risk of death, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation

Answer 3

Yes, it is true that getting less sleep can put you at higher risk for mortality. To be specific, the National Library of Medicine states that those who are "consistently sleeping 5 hours or less per night should be regarded as a higher risk group for all-cause mortality", which proves this claim to be true. In order to double check this, I looked at an article by Harvard's Division of Sleep Medicine, which also stated that people who sleep for 5 hours or less a night could have up to a 15 percent increased mortality risk rate.

 

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2864873/#:~:text=People%20reporting%20consistently%20sleeping%205,group%20for%20all%2Dcause%20mortality.

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-86

Answer 4

While this article is more than 14 years old, the statistics stay relevant to this day. This is true. The article comes from The Guardian, which is a well known trustworthy news site. Those who generally slept for less than six hours a night were 12% more likely to experience a premature death over a period of 25 years than those who consistently got six to eight hours' sleep. The facts stated come come from 16 different studies conducted over Europe, the US, and Asia over 25 years. After researching more on this topic I found that not only does sleeping less decrease lifespan, but it can also increase risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. 

Answer 5

This claim is true, while I may argue that the title of the claim is a bit clickbaity by being vague on what less sleep is and what the percentage is the claim is true. The article states how consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep causes sleep deprivation which prevents your body from recovering and resetting to defend the immune system making you more prone to getting sick. Other negative effects of sleep deprivation include negative effects on the cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, and nervous systems, which in turn increases the chances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The website also does a good job crediting their course the Warwick University research center in their research that proves these claims.

I would say after reading this claim and the website that it is a little bit exaggerated but true. While it is true that sleep deprivation can cause premature death, this premature death is at most 7 years and is phrased to sound much bigger. Also, the research conducted was tested over a 25-year window meaning that a premature death up to 7 years early is caused by a consistent 6 hours or less of sleep over 25 years. Sleep is very important but don't be scared to pull an occasional all-nighter if you need to do work or study.

https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/short_sleep_increases/

Answer 6

I believe the claim that people who sleep less are more likely to die earlier is true. I liked and agreed with the article you provided, which suggested that sleeping less than six hours per night may lead to early death. Despite it being more than a decade old, recent studies have continued to support the association between short sleep duration and increased mortality risk.

A study published in Frontiers in Public Health found that both short (<5 hours) and long (>9 hours sleep durations are significantly associated with elevated risks of all-cause mortality. Specifically, individuals sleeping less than 5 hours had a 1.40 times higher risk, while those sleeping more than 9 hours had a 1.74 times higher risk, compared to those sleeping 7-8 hours per night. 

Additionally, research in JAMA Network Open indicated that younger men sleeping less than 7 hours per night faced a statistically significant increase in all-cause mortality risk. This association was not observed in older men, suggesting that age may influence the impact of sleep duration on mortality. 

Lastly, beyond duration, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule has been identified as a crucial factor for longevity. A study highlighted in Real Simple emphasized that individuals with stable sleep patterns, averaging around seven hours per night, had better health outcomes and a higher likelihood of successful aging. 

While the 2010 article's claim about the dangers of sleeping less than six hours aligns with more recent findings, it's essential to consider both sleep duration and regularity. Both insufficient and excessive Sleep are associated with increased mortality risks. Striving for 7-8 hours of consistent sleep per night appears to be optimal for health and longevity.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.880276/full

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783717

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-20524-7

Answer 7

People who get less sleep consistently are in fact putting themselves at more of a risk for a wide range of health issues that could potentially come there way which could, yes, maybe even result in an earlier death than if they would've had a healthy sleep schedule. 

An article by sleepfoundation.org goes into detail about how there are some somewhat minor effects caused by lack of sleep such as weakened immune system and energy loss. But if those already sound serious it can get way worse. Consistent bad sleep can also result in higher risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, memory loss, and more. Not to mention there are also negative impacts on ones mental health such as increased depression and it is "even associated with suicidality."

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/can-you-die-from-not-sleeping

Another article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2864873/ 

Goes into detail agreeing with this claim that consistent lack of sleep can increase risk of death in the long run however I find it interesting they also said "Both short and long duration of sleep are significant predictors of death in prospective population studies." 

So in the long run when it comes to sleep in general it is very important to have a balance in your sleep schedule as it can in fact result in health issues that can actually lead to an earlier death. 

Answer 8

This claim can be supported by the National Library of Medicine, a scholarly source.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2864873/

The source cited, though it is dated, remains consistent with the NCBI about a lack of sleep correlating with an increased mortality rate. Sleep is known to be a very important bodily function and the NCBI conducted several studies which supported this claim. Therefore this claim is true

Answer 9

This fact check says that getting anything under six hours of sleep can have long term consequences to ones health. After doing my own research, this is can be very true. In a article I found from sleepfoundation.org, it says " Approximately one-third of adults regularly sleep for six hours or less each night, and surveys suggest that short sleep may be growing more common." This lack of sleep can be caused by work or school schedules, our social obligations, physical and mental health, and of course the most apparent, sleep disorders. Although seven hours is what is recommended for adults, some do not need the full six hours to feel fully rested and have no health complications arise. We might not think about it but there are so many different steps in our sleep cycle and its not always about the quantity of hours we get but the quality of the rest. 

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/is-6-hours-of-sleep-enough

Answer 10

You’re right that lack of sleep is linked to a shorter lifespan. Getting less than six hours a night increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, which can all lead to an early death. The CDC confirms that not getting enough sleep raises the chances of developing chronic health issues. 

One thing that could make your fact-check stronger is mentioning that too much sleep can also be a problem. Harvard Medical School found that regularly sleeping more than nine hours a night can also increase the risk of early death. Adding that could give a more stronger overall response.

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/key_disorders.html

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-86