An analysis by Columbia University researchers has shown that both short and long sleep durations are linked to accelerated biological aging. The findings are based on data from approximately half a million UK Biobank participants and 23 “biological clocks” covering 17 different organs.
The study was published in the journal Nature. Scientists note that the observed link does not prove that sleep duration itself accelerates or slows aging; deviations from a specific sleep duration could also be a sign of declining physical health.
Sleep duration linked to slower aging
Researchers found a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and biological age markers. Higher aging markers were observed in individuals who reported sleeping less than six hours or more than eight hours per night. The lowest levels of biological aging were recorded among participants who slept approximately 6.4 to 7.8 hours per night.
To assess biological age, the team used 23 “aging clocks.” These models were developed using machine learning and various biological indicators, including medical imaging data and proteins and molecules found in the blood.
Unlike models that assess whole-body aging, the clocks developed by the researchers allow for the analysis of individual organs. In total, the study accounted for markers associated with 17 organs.
Sleep linked to diseases affecting various organs
The link to sleep duration extended beyond biological aging markers. Short sleep was associated with depressive episodes and anxiety disorders, as well as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart rhythm disorders.
Both short and long sleep durations were linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Researchers also identified a link between both sleep duration patterns and digestive system disorders, including gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
According to lead researcher Junhao Wen, these findings suggest a connection between sleep duration and the functioning of the body as an integrated system.
“Our study goes further to show that both insufficient and excessive sleep are associated with accelerated aging across nearly all organs; this reinforces the idea that sleep is crucial for maintaining organ health within the coordinated brain-body network, supporting metabolic balance and a healthy immune system.”
The link between sleep and late-life depression
The researchers also examined the relationship between sleep duration, biological aging, and late-life depression. However, they were unable to establish a causal direction: the data did not clarify whether sleep duration influences the development of depression or if depression itself alters sleep duration.
To investigate further, the scientists used mediation analysis to assess the potential role of biological aging in this relationship. The results indicated that short sleep might be more directly linked to the burden of late-life depression. In the case of long sleep, the association with depression appeared to be mediated by markers of brain and adipose tissue aging.
The researchers emphasize that these findings point to the possible existence of distinct biological pathways linking short and long sleep to depression. The study utilized data from UK Biobank participants and compared sleep duration against 23 “biological clocks” designed to measure the aging of various organs.
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