Healthy Sleep Habits Could Potentially Help Women Live 2.4 Years Longer, According to Researchers

Research keeps putting sleep at the center of longevity conversations, and one widely cited study shows women who follow five healthy sleep habits could gain nearly two and a half years of life expectancy compared with women who follow almost none.

How does sleep affect women’s life expectancy?

Women who practice five key healthy sleep behaviors can gain 2.4 additional years of life expectancy compared with women who follow zero or one of them, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study by Haibin Li and Frank Qian used data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1997 to 2018 and linked it to National Death Index records through December 31, 2019.

Analyzing 172,321 participants, the authors found that life expectancy at age 30 was 56.7 years of remaining life for women with all five low-risk sleep factors, versus 54.3 years for women with zero to one. Participants with all five factors also had a 30% lower risk of all-cause mortality. Men saw an even larger gain of 4.7 years, but the female-specific 2.4-year jump underscores how much sleep quality shapes long-term health for women.

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What are the five healthy sleep habits linked to a longer life?

Researchers identified five low-risk sleep factors that together correlate with lower mortality and longer life. According to the study, they include sleeping seven to eight hours per day, having difficulty falling asleep no more than twice a week, having trouble staying asleep no more than twice a week, not using sleep medication and waking feeling rested at least five days a week.

“We saw a clear dose-response relationship, so the more beneficial factors someone has in terms of having higher quality of sleep, they also have a stepwise lowering of all cause and cardiovascular mortality,” said Dr. Qian, an internal medicine resident physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “I think these findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn’t sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep.”

Why is sleep apnea often underdiagnosed in women?

Obstructive sleep apnea can be harder to identify in women because they often do not present with the classic symptoms doctors look for in men, which may partly explain why women’s sleep problems get missed. Sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, told CNN that as sleep apnea severity increases, so does the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.

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“Women with obstructive sleep apnea often get underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed because they may not present with the classic symptoms that we see when we’re evaluating men,” Dasgupta said. “Maybe we need to ask different questions or look at different parameters, or is there something we’re missing here?” He also noted that irregular sleep timing and duration have been linked to metabolic abnormalities and higher cardiovascular disease risk in recent studies.

How can women improve their sleep for better health?

Building consistent, restful sleep routines is one of the most effective ways women can support long-term health, per federal health guidance. The CDC recommends the following habits for better sleep:

• Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day
• Keeping the bedroom quiet, relaxing and at a cool temperature
• Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime
• Avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime
• Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening
• Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet

A separate 2025 study in Sleep Advances analyzing CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2019 to 2025 found insufficient sleep was significantly associated with lower life expectancy at the county level, with only smoking showing a stronger association among common health behaviors. “Getting a good night’s sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live,” said senior author Andrew McHill, an associate professor at OHSU.