journal · Public research summary
Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies
Both short and long reported sleep duration were associated with higher mortality than the reference durations used in the contributing studies.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Cappuccio FP et al. · Sleep · 2010 · DOI: 10.1093/sleep/33.5.585
Study design
Prospective-study meta-analysis
Population
16 studies, 27 cohort samples; approximately 1.38 million adults.
Measured outcome
All-cause mortality association
Finding
Both short and long reported sleep duration were associated with higher mortality than the reference durations used in the contributing studies.
Limitations
Self-reported sleep and underlying illness may explain part of the association. Longer sleep is not automatically harmful; this does not establish an optimal schedule or life-years benefit.
Habit topics
Keep a steadier sleep rhythm
Interpretation
Research comparisons are not personal lifespan predictions. Years from different studies, habits, populations and outcomes cannot be added. Supporting studies do not validate the numeric estimate of another study.