“Catching up on sleep every weekend”… Study finds that sleeping too long may accelerate aging
A new study suggests that getting more than eight hours of sleep per day may actually accelerate biological aging, challenging the long-held belief that “sleep is always beneficial.”
6–8 hours is optimal… aging risk rises outside this range
According to researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, an analysis of health data from approximately 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank found that individuals who slept between 6.4 and 7.8 hours per day showed the slowest rate of biological aging.
The study identified a “U-shaped” pattern: aging accelerated again when sleep duration fell below 6 hours or exceeded 8 hours. This suggests that aging progresses most slowly within the recommended range, while deviating from it increases the risk.
What makes this study particularly notable is that it went beyond self-reported data and directly tracked aging across multiple organs, including the brain, liver, lungs, immune system, skin, adipose tissue, and pancreas. Its large sample size of 500,000 participants further strengthens its reliability. Unlike previous studies focusing on a single organ, this research evaluated aging comprehensively across multiple systems.
Too little sleep affects the heart; too much may impact brain health
The researchers also found that short and long sleep durations affect the body through different mechanisms. Sleep deprivation was linked to chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and metabolic disorders, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
On the other hand, excessive sleep was closely associated with worsening brain health, including depression and cognitive decline.
However, the researchers cautioned that long sleep itself may not directly cause aging. Instead, it could be a secondary effect—an early signal that the body is responding to underlying health issues or disease. In this sense, a sudden increase in sleep duration should not be dismissed as simple fatigue but considered a potential warning sign.
Experts recommend that adults aim for around 7 hours of sleep per night and maintain consistent sleep and wake times throughout the week, including weekends, to support healthy aging.