Sleep duration linked to accelerated biological aging and health risks

New research highlights significant health risks associated with improper sleep duration. A report by UCE Research and ePsycholodzy.pl reveals that 33.1% of young Poles aged 18–35 sleep six hours or less per day. This deficit is notably higher than in other industrialized nations, such as the US (18%), Japan (16%), and the UK (16%), compared to Canada (6%). Experts note that chronic sleep deprivation is linked to a 13% higher risk of premature death and can impair memory and skill acquisition.

Complementary findings published in the journal Nature by Columbia University researchers, based on data from approximately 500,000 individuals, indicate that both insufficient and excessive sleep accelerate biological aging. Using 23 biological aging clocks to assess 17 organ systems, the study found that the slowest aging occurred in individuals sleeping between 6.4 and 7.8 hours.

Deviations from this optimal range—sleeping less than six hours or more than eight hours—were linked to accelerated aging in the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. Short sleep duration is specifically associated with depression, anxiety, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, while both extremes are linked to respiratory and digestive issues.