A new analysis of biological aging across multiple human organs indicates that both insufficient sleep (less than 6 hours) and excessive sleep (more than 8 hours) are associated with accelerated aging in the brain, heart, lungs, immune system, and other organs. The study, which utilized aging clocks developed by Junhao Wen and colleagues at Columbia University, found that individuals reporting sleep durations between 6.4 and 7.8 hours exhibited the lowest levels of biological aging. Importantly, the findings suggest that extreme sleep patterns may serve as indicators of poorer overall health rather than direct causal factors of accelerated organ aging.
The research also revealed a broad connection between sleep duration and a range of diseases affecting various body systems. Short sleep was significantly associated with mental health disorders such as depressive episodes and anxiety, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. Both short and long sleep durations were linked to respiratory issues like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, as well as several digestive disorders. The study further explored the relationship between sleep and late-life depression, suggesting that short sleep may have a more direct connection to this condition, while long sleep may influence depression through pathways reflected in aging clocks for the brain and adipose tissue. These insights imply that sleep management and therapeutic approaches may need to differentiate between the distinct biological pathways associated with short and long sleep. [Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260823094156.htm]