Poor Sleep Linked to Higher Osteoarthritis Risk

A Washington University research team examined sleep and joint outcomes in approximately 500,000 adults from the UK Biobank. Participants, whose median age was 58 and 54% of whom were female, answered questions about sleep length, sleep problems, and shift work. Researchers then followed them for 8 to 13 years, tracking knee and hip osteoarthritis along with knee and hip replacement surgery.

Compared with seven hours of sleep, fewer than six hours was associated with a 41% greater chance of knee osteoarthritis and a 31% greater chance of knee replacement. The corresponding hip figures were 39% and 21%. People who usually struggled to fall asleep or remain asleep also had higher risks: 34% for knee osteoarthritis, 40% for knee replacement, 30% for hip osteoarthritis, and 24% for hip replacement. Working between midnight and 6 a.m. was associated with 24% more knee osteoarthritis and 28% more knee replacements than not working shifts.

The connections became smaller after researchers accounted for body weight, but they remained. Sleeping under six hours still corresponded with 31% more knee osteoarthritis and 20% more knee replacement, while insomnia and night work continued to show associations with some outcomes. The pattern was strongest for the knee, including among night workers without physically demanding jobs. The findings suggest that sleep and the body’s daily timing system may influence joint health alongside exercise and weight management, which matters for adults hoping to remain active and comfortable.