Study / Irregular sleep is linked to the risk of 172 diseases

A large scientific analysis of 88,461 participants from the UK Biobank database, monitored over an average period of nearly 7 years through fitness tracker devices, has revealed that a lack of regularity in sleep-wake rhythm is directly linked to a significant increase in the risk of developing 172 different diseases.

The study, recently published in the journal "Health Data Science", emphasizes that sleep regularity, that is, the consistency of bedtimes and wake times, as well as the stability of the circadian rhythm is a much stronger predictor of long-term health than sleep duration alone.

What did the study show?

Participants who went to bed after 12:30 a.m., or those with weak biological rhythms, were two to three times more likely to develop serious diseases, including liver cirrhosis.

Researchers analyzed:

Daily rhythm stability between days

Rhythm amplitude (how strong or weak it was)

Daily fragmentation (variability within the same day)

Sleep duration isn’t enough

Contrary to popular belief, the length of sleep alone wasn't that decisive. Often, people who reported spending more than 9 hours in bed were in fact sleeping only 5–6 effective hours, showing that self-reports are inaccurate, while wearable devices provide objective data.

Biological effects and consequences

Irregular sleep rhythms negatively affect:

* Metabolism

* Hormonal balance

* The immune system

These disturbances contribute to chronic inflammation and accelerated biological aging. Researchers observed clear associations with molecular markers such as GrimAge and PhenoAge, which measure the body’s epigenetic age. In total, for 92 diseases, over 20% of the total risk could be directly attributed to sleep irregularities.

How can sleep quality be improved?

Researchers suggest some simple but effective interventions:

* Exposure to natural morning light

* Light therapy to strengthen circadian rhythm

* Maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends

These habits help stabilize the biological mechanisms that regulate sleep and wakefulness, protecting the body from chronic disorders and long-term negative effects.

The results showed that low rhythm stability and high rhythm fragmentation are clearly associated with significantly increased risk of:

* Metabolic diseases

* Respiratory diseases

* Cardiovascular diseases

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