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In our first Apex Summary, we explore the latest research on how sleep impacts biomarkers associated with longevity and health. The following is a summary of 10 studies on the topic.

Introduction

Sleep is a critical physiological process that influences various health aspects, including aging and longevity biomarkers. Recent research has explored how sleep quality, duration, and patterns impact biological markers of aging, such as epigenetic age, metabolic markers, and inflammatory biomarkers. Understanding these relationships can help identify sleep as a potential modifiable factor for promoting healthy aging and longevity.

Key Insights

• Sleep Quality and Longevity:
• Better sleep quality is associated with a reduced risk of premature end of health span and lower biological age acceleration.^1,2
• Improved sleep quality in older adults with insomnia reduces biomarkers of disease risk, including cardiovascular and metabolic markers.³
• Sleep Patterns and Longevity:
• Regular sleep patterns and maintenance of slow-wave sleep are linked to higher HDL-cholesterol and lower triglyceride levels, contributing to longevity.⁴
• Evening-oriented sleep timing preferences are associated with higher risks of metabolic and psychiatric disorders, and increased mortality.⁵
• Genetic and Molecular Mechanisms:
• Shared genetic pathways between sleep traits and longevity suggest that endocrine and epigenetic regulation may be common mechanisms.⁶
• Knockdown of the JNK gene in fruit flies results in reduced sleep and longevity, indicating a genetic link between sleep regulation and aging.⁷
• Impact of Sleep Duration:
• Short sleep duration is associated with epigenetic age acceleration and increased inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting a link between insufficient sleep and accelerated aging.⁸
• In fruit flies, short sleep periods are associated with increased longevity, while disrupted circadian rhythms reduce longevity, indicating complex interactions between sleep duration and aging.⁹
• Sleep and Quality of Life:
• Self-reported sleep quality correlates positively with quality of life in older adults, affecting physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environmental aspects.¹⁰

Conclusion

The research collectively indicates that good sleep quality, regular sleep patterns, and appropriate sleep duration are crucial for maintaining favorable biomarkers of longevity. Genetic and molecular pathways also play a significant role in linking sleep traits to aging. Improving sleep quality can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and promote healthy aging, making sleep a vital factor in longevity.

Want to learn more about the biomarkers associated with longevity? Click Here.

References

1. Sambou, M., Zhao, X., Hong, T., Fan, J., Basnet, T., Zhu, M., Wang, C., Hang, D., Jiang, Y., & Dai, J. (2021). Associations Between Sleep Quality and Health Span: A Prospective Cohort Study Based on 328,850 UK Biobank Participants. Frontiers in Genetics, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.663449.
2. Gao, X., Huang, N., & Huang, T. (2021). Role of sleep quality in the acceleration of biological aging and its potential for preventive interaction on air pollution insults: Findings from the UK Biobank cohort. Aging Cell, 21. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13610.
3. Carroll, J., Seeman, T., Olmstead, R., Melendez, G., Sadakane, R., Bootzin, R., Nicassio, P., & Irwin, M. (2015). Improved sleep quality in older adults with insomnia reduces biomarkers of disease risk: Pilot results from a randomized controlled comparative efficacy trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 55, 184-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.02.010.
4. Mazzotti, D., Guindalini, C., Moraes, W., Andersen, M., Cendoroglo, M., Ramos, L., & Tufik, S. (2014). Human longevity is associated with regular sleep patterns, maintenance of slow wave sleep, and favorable lipid profile. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00134.
5. Didikoglu, A., Maharani, A., Payton, A., Pendleton, N., & Canal, M. (2019). Longitudinal change of sleep timing: association between chronotype and longevity in older adults. Chronobiology International, 36, 1285 - 1300. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2019.1641111.
6. Moysés-Oliveira, M., Adami, L., Guerreiro, P., Mosini, A., Kloster, A., Cunha, L., Paschalidis, M., Marquezini, B., Pires, G., Tempaku, P., Andersen, M., & Tufik, S. (2023). Endocrine and epigenetic regulation as common pathways underlying the genetic basis of sleep traits and longevity.. Rejuvenation research. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2023.0019.
7. Takahama, K., Tomita, J., Ueno, T., Yamazaki, M., Kume, S., & Kume, K. (2012). Pan-neuronal knockdown of the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) results in a reduction in sleep and longevity in Drosophila.. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 417(2), 807-11 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.12.040.
8. Kaufmann, C., & Stone, K. (2022). INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SLEEP AND BIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF AGING. Innovation in Aging, 6, 363 - 363. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac059.1435.
9. Thompson, J., Su, O., Yang, N., & Bauer, J. (2020). Sleep-length differences are associated with altered longevity in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Biology Open, 9. https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.054361.
10. Sella, E., Miola, L., Toffalini, E., & Borella, E. (2021). The relationship between sleep quality and quality of life in aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 17, 169 - 191. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2021.1974309.

Jon Esposito, PhD, CSCS, CISSN, USAW