TAP reading note: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration: A prospective cohort study
More regular sleep was associated with lower all-cause mortality. In models including regularity alone, the highest versus lowest quintile HR changed from .52 (95% CI .45–.60) with minimal adjustment to .70 (.59–.83) with full adjustment; including sleep duration yielded .74 (.62–.89). This motivates attention to regularity but does not establish the effect of changing sleep schedules.
Updated 2026-10-29 · Archived
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What the study found
More regular sleep was associated with lower all-cause mortality. In models including regularity alone, the highest versus lowest quintile HR changed from .52 (95% CI .45–.60) with minimal adjustment to .70 (.59–.83) with full adjustment; including sleep duration yielded .74 (.62–.89). This motivates attention to regularity but does not establish the effect of changing sleep schedules.
Scope & limitations
UK Biobank accelerometry cohort with 1,859 deaths. The abstract/discussion gives 60,977 people, while the characteristics section gives 60,997; this discrepancy remains unresolved. Minimal/full models included 60,780/46,721.
Observational design, one-week measurement, a relatively homogeneous middle/older-age sample and residual confounding constrain inference. Full adjustment also reduced the sample, so attenuation cannot be attributed entirely to covariates. Associations do not establish calibrated individual prediction.
Population & sample
UK Biobank accelerometry cohort with 1,859 deaths. The abstract/discussion gives 60,977 people, while the characteristics section gives 60,997; this discrepancy remains unresolved. Minimal/full models included 60,780/46,721.
Exposure or intervention
Seven-day accelerometer estimates of sleep regularity and duration, grouped into quintiles and modelled separately and together.
Outcomes
All-cause and cause-specific mortality, with model-specific denominators and adjustment sets.
Time frame
Seven-day sleep measurement and mean mortality follow-up of 6.30 years.
Research funding
A. J. K. Phillips and S. W. Cain disclosed Delos and Versalux research support; Cain also disclosed Beacon Lighting support. All public funding awards have not been fully checked.
Research conflicts of interest
Phillips and Cain disclosed cofounder/management relationships with Circadian Health Innovations; Cain also disclosed Dyson consulting.
Reading scope
Full-text sample, regularity definition, models, mortality results and limitations. Total-sample discrepancies, covariate missingness and all supplements remain to be checked.
References
Publication record
TAP-RDN-0061 · v1.0 · English
Author: TAP Editorial Team ·
The Allostasis Project is founded and supported by Resilio.
Record for v1.0 · Updated
Editorial responsibility: TAP Editorial Team
Scientific review
Not yet scientifically reviewed
Editorial note
Under the editorial responsibility of the TAP Editorial Team, this publication used AI assistance for content organization and editing. Scientific review is recorded separately on this page.
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Record integrity & available editions
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Captured: 2026-10-29T10:31:13.634Z
- v1.0 · 2026-10-29