I have been talking about sleep A LOT lately. In the next two weeks, I'll be sharing my presentation, Sleep & Insomnia: Age-Related Changes and Remedies, five times, both virtually and in person. As part of my research for this presentation, I came across a fascinating study published in 2024 that found sleep regularity is more important than sleep duration in predicting all-cause mortality.

Study Highlights

This was a prospective cohort study (1) of more than 60,000 participants in the UK, average age of 62. Mortality data was collected for 7.8 years. Here are some of the key findings:

Irregular sleep patterns were associated with higher mortality rates, regardless of sleep duration.
Individuals with consistent sleep schedules exhibited lower mortality risks, even with shorter sleep durations.

Note that this was an observational study which shows correlation, not causation. More research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms linking sleep regularity to mortality risk.

What Does This Mean to Me?
The key takeaway, in my mind, is that it is important to have a consistent schedule for going to bed and waking up. Many of us short-change ourselves on sleep during the week and sleep extra long on weekends. Or we binge-watch Netflix some nights or stay up late reading, and then sleep longer the next morning. This 2024 research shows that consistency matters when it comes to sleep.

Is Duration Still Important?
Yes! The recommendation from The National Sleep Foundation, as well as the CDC, Mayo Clinic, Sleep Research Society, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, all recommend 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults (7-8 for adults age 65+). However, if you are struggling to get that much sleep, start with something you can control: go to bed at the same time every night. Ideally, see when you wake up without an alarm and use this as a guide for a regular sleep schedule.