India, Jan. 11 -- A good night's sleep may be far more than a lifestyle choice - it could be key to a longer life, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

The study, published on Tuesday in the journal SLEEP Advances, suggests that insufficient sleep is strongly linked to shorter life expectancy, emerging as one of the most significant behavioral predictors of longevity - second only to smoking.

The findings showed that sleep duration had a stronger association with life expectancy than diet, exercise or loneliness, surprising even the scientists involved.

"I didn't expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy," said Andrew McHill, PhD, the study's senior author and an associate professor ...