The One Action That Protects Your Lifespan More Than Anything Else

[HEALTH] Skip sleep long enough and even kale, cardio, and yoga can't save you! In December 2025, Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University examined long-term data in large groups of people to determine how sleep duration and the regularity of one's sleep schedule impacted all-cause mortality, directly compared to other major lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet quality, and social connection. [1,2] 

After controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and underlying health conditions, the study determined that chronic sleep deprivation or poor sleep regularity continued to be among the strongest predictors of decreased lifespan, even among individuals who were active. High physical activity levels did not completely mitigate the risk for chronic sleep loss.

The authors explained that sleep is biologically unique in a way that other healthy behaviors could not compensate for. In deep sleep, the brain’s glymphatic system is activated, a “clearance pathway” that flushes metabolic waste proteins that contribute to neurodegeneration. If sleep is chronically shortened or fragmented, these toxic byproducts build up faster than one’s waking-hour behaviors can address. The study authors concluded that sleep was not optional downtime but rather a fundamental biological process that is required for long-term brain and body survival.