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6-8 Hours of Sleep Slows Organ Aging, Study Finds

5/29/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Junhao Wen and colleagues published a Nature study using UK Biobank data from 500,000 volunteers linking 6.4-7.8 hours of sleep with slower organ aging.
The analysis found a U-shaped pattern, with less than six or more than eight hours of sleep tied to disease risk and mortality.
Researchers cautioned the White European cohort limits generalizability and that poor health might increase sleep, noting Mark Lachs called it a “Goldilocks” phenomenon.

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Story summary

Junhao Wen and colleagues published a Nature study using UK Biobank data from 500,000 volunteers linking 6.4-7.8 hours of sleep with slower organ aging.
The analysis found a U-shaped pattern, with less than six or more than eight hours of sleep tied to disease risk and mortality.
Researchers cautioned the White European cohort limits generalizability and that poor health might increase sleep, noting Mark Lachs called it a “Goldilocks” phenomenon.