Research

Hormonal

Sleep disruption is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers (colorectal, breast, prostate) and all-cause mortality, particularly in men.

For shift workers and those with chronic sleep disorders, maintaining sleep continuity and circadian alignment is critical for long-term health. Evidence links these disruptions to higher risks of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers, as well as increased mortality, particularly in men. Prioritizing sleep hygiene and treating sleep disorders may mitigate these risks.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Long-term consequences of sleep disruption in otherwise healthy individuals include... colorectal cancer. All-cause mortality is also increased in men with sleep disturbances... night shift work has been associated with an increased risk of cancer... women who worked 1–14 years or ≥15 years on rotating night shifts had multivariate relative risks of colorectal cancer of 1.00... and 1.35...
Goran Medić et al. · Nature and Science of Sleep · 2017

Why this rating

Based on large observational studies (Nurses' Health Study, GAZEL cohort) and case-control studies, but the paper notes mechanisms are 'not clear' and 'additional research is required'.

Source

Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption

Goran Medić et al. · Nature and Science of Sleep · 2017

DOI 10.2147/nss.s134864

narrative_reviewCited 1,716×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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