We’ve all heard the usual advice for living a long and healthy life: eat your veggies, get your exercise and don’t smoke. But there’s another secret to longevity that doesn’t cost a cent and doesn’t require willpower at the bakery or the gym. You spend about a third of your life doing it already — or at least, you should. I’m talking about sleep!
For too long, sleep has been treated like background noise, something you squeeze in after everything else. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” people used to say, usually with pride. The irony? Cutting corners on sleep can get you there faster. Scientists now know sleep is not just “rest.” It’s a biological necessity that is as important to your health and longevity as diet and exercise. The way you sleep (how much, how well, and how regularly) has ripple effects on everything from your heart and your brain to the rate at which your body ages.
When it comes to sleep, the Goldilocks rule applies: too little is harmful, too much is also harmful, but just the right amount is golden. Large studies following thousands of people have shown that those who regularly sleep fewer than six hours or more than nine are more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even die younger. The sweet spot is about seven to eight hours a night. Fewer than 1% of people appear to be “natural short sleepers.” These are individuals who do well on 4–6 hours per night without adverse effects and are linked to rare genetic variants that alter sleep homeostasis. Most self-reported short sleepers, however, actually show impairments in cognition, reaction time, metabolism and cardiovascular risk when studied objectively. In other words, unless you have one of these very rare mutations, skimping on sleep is not doing you any favors.
While length of time spent sleeping is important, what happens on the inside of your body during this time is equally as vital to your health. As you sleep, your organs and systems are given time to rest, repair, and reset. During deep sleep, the brain’s glymphatic system even flushes out toxic waste products, including amyloid proteins which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Think of it as your brain’s garbage pickup. When sleep is broken or shallow, that cleanup doesn’t happen properly, and can raise your risk of heart disease, metabolic problems, depression and cognitive decline.
Timing matters too. Humans are hardwired to follow a 24-hour circadian rhythm, with everything from hormone production to digestion synced to cycles of light and dark. When you keep regular sleep and wake times, you’re working with your biology. But when you constantly shift your schedule — staying up late to binge Netflix, sleeping until noon, pulling all-nighters — you throw your system out of whack. Research shows people with irregular sleep schedules are more likely to gain weight, develop diabetes and even face a higher risk of early death.
Tips for better sleep
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
- Put down the screens and dim the lights an hour before bed.
- Move your body during the day.
- Watch what you eat and drink — skip caffeine after 2 p.m. and don’t rely on alcohol as a sleep aid, since it profoundly disrupts deep sleep.
- Struggling with snoring? gasping or insomnia, don’t ignore it – conditions like sleep apnea can quietly sabotage your health if left untreated.
While good sleep adds years to your life, it also improves the quality of those years. People who maintain consistent seven- to eight-hour sleep patterns are more likely to reach old age free of major disease, with sharp minds and strong bodies. On a cellular level, sleep may even slow down aging. Studies show poor sleep is linked to shorter telomeres, the protective caps on DNA that shrink as we get older, and to signs of accelerated “epigenetic aging,” where cells appear biologically older than they should. In other words, skimping on sleep may literally make your body age faster.
Sleep is one of the free tools we have available to us to help maintain our health. We also know that we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we’re not prioritizing catching enough (and quality). So this year, if you’re looking to improve your overall wellbeing, make sure that sleep is included in your plan.
Sleep Myths vs. Facts
Myth: “I can catch up on sleep over the weekend.”
Fact: Weekend “catch-up” helps a little, but it doesn’t erase the health risks of chronic sleep debt. Consistency matters most.
Myth: “Older people don’t need as much sleep.”
Fact: Sleep patterns change with age, but older adults still need about 7–8 hours. Poor sleep in later life is linked to higher risks of disease and cognitive decline.
Myth: “If I fall asleep quickly, I must be a good sleeper.”
Fact: Falling asleep the second your head hits the pillow can be a sign of sleep deprivation, not good sleep health.
Myth: “Naps make up for bad nighttime sleep.”
Fact: Short naps can boost alertness, but they don’t replace the deep, restorative sleep that happens at night.
Myth: “Alcohol helps me sleep.”
Fact: A nightcap might knock you out faster, but alcohol disrupts the quality of your sleep, leaving you less rested.
