Orfeu Buxton

Elizabeth Fenton Susman Professor of Biobehavioral Health

Orfeu Buxton

Research Summary

The causes of chronic sleep deficiency in the workplace, home, and society; the health consequences of chronic sleep deficiency, especially cardiometabolic outcomes, and the physiologic and social mechanisms by which these outcomes arise. Successful aging is a central focus of this work. Ongoing interdisciplinary human studies involve sleep loss, aging, and insomnia, as well as health disparities.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Insomnia Symptoms Burden and Prescribed Sleep Medication Use Predict Fall Risk in Older Adults

Tuo-Yu Chen, S Lee, Orfeu Buxton, Sleep

The Past, Present, and Future of Sleep Health

Lauren Hale, Orfeu M. Buxton, Amanda Applegate, Susan Redline, 2025, Sleep Health on p. 123-125

Adaptive Just-in-Time Intervention to Reduce Everyday Stress Responses: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Jillian Johnson, Matthew J. Zawadzki, Martin J. Sliwinski, David Almeida, Orfeu M. Buxton, David E. Conroy, David Marcusson-Clavertz, Jinhyuk Kim, Robert S. Stawski, Stacey B. Scott, Christopher N. Sciamanna, Paige A. Green, Emily M. Repka, Meynard John L. Toledo, Nicole L. Sturges, Joshua Morrison Smyth, 2025, JMIR Research Protocols on p. e58985

Performance evaluation of a machine learning-based methodology using dynamical features to detect nonwear intervals in actigraphy data in a free-living setting

Jyotirmoy Nirupam Das, Linying Ji, Yuqi Shen, Soundar Kumara, Orfeu M. Buxton, Sy-Miin Chow, 2025, Sleep Health on p. 166-173

Associations between AHA's Life's Essential 8 and cognition in midlife and older adults

Lindsay Master, Yuqi Shen, Alexa C. Allan, May A. Beydoun, Alan B. Zonderman, Michele K. Evans, Orfeu M. Buxton, Alyssa A. Gamaldo, 2024, Alzheimer's and Dementia on p. 8566-8575

Actigraphic sleep dimensions and associations with academic functioning among adolescents

G Mathew, D Reichenberger, L Master, Orfeu Buxton, Anne Marie Chang, L Hale, 2024, Sleep

Group-based sleep trajectories in children and adolescents: A systematic review

Yuhang Wang, Buqun Li, Chenggang Zhang, Orfeu M. Buxton, Susan Redline, Xiaoyu Li, 2024, Sleep Medicine Reviews

Design and methods of the mobile assessment of cognition, environment, and sleep (MACES) feasibility study in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

R Derbes, Jonathan Hakun, D Elbich, L Master, Sheri Berenbaum, X Huang, Orfeu M. Buxton, Anne-Marie Chang, Cristina I. Truica, K Sturgeon, 2024, Scientific Reports on p. 8338

Is sleep longitudinally related to children's achievement, executive function and classroom behaviour?

Adrienne D. Woods, June L. Jiao, Paul L. Morgan, Orfeu M. Buxton, 2024, Infant and Child Development

Corrigendum to “Performance of an open machine learning model to classify sleep/wake from actigraphy across ∼24-hour intervals without knowledge of rest timing” [Sleep Health 9 (2023) 596-610, (S2352721823001341), (10.1016/j.sleh.2023.07.001)]

D Roberts, Margeaux M. Schade, M Gray, L Master, Vasant G. Honavar, N Nahmod, Anne Marie Chang, D Gartenberg, Orfeu Buxton, 2024, Sleep Health on p. 255-260

Most-Cited Papers

Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society

Nathaniel F. Watson, M. Safwan Badr, Gregory Belenky, Donald L. Bliwise, Orfeu M. Buxton, Daniel Buysse, David F. Dinges, James Gangwisch, Michael A. Grandner, Clete Kushida, Raman K. Malhotra, Jennifer L. Martin, Sanjay R. Patel, Stuart F. Quan, Esra Tasali, Michael Twery, Janet B. Croft, Elise Maher, Jerome A. Barrett, Sherene M. Thomas, Jonathan L. Heald, 2015, Sleep on p. 843-844

Joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society on the recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: Methodology and discussion

Nathaniel F. Watson, M. Safwan Badr, Gregory Belenky, Donald L. Bliwise, Orfeu M. Buxton, Daniel Buysse, David F. Dinges, James Gangwisch, Michael A. Grandner, Clete Kushida, Raman K. Malhotra, Jennifer L. Martin, Sanjay R. Patel, Stuart F. Quan, Esra Tasali, Michael Twery, Janet B. Croft, Elise Maher, Jerome A. Barrett, Sherene M. Thomas, Jonathan L. Heald, 2015, Sleep on p. 1161-1183

Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society

Nathaniel F. Watson, M. Safwan Badr, Gregory Belenky, Donald L. Bliwise, Orfeu M. Buxton, Daniel Buysse, David F. Dinges, James Gangwisch, Michael A. Grandner, Clete Kushida, Raman K. Malhotra, Jennifer L. Martin, Sanjay R. Patel, Stuart F. Quan, Esra Tasali, Michael Twery, Janet B. Croft, Elise Maher, Jerome A. Barrett, Sherene M. Thomas, Jonathan L. Heald, 2015, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine on p. 591-592

Endogenous circadian system and circadian misalignment impact glucose tolerance via separate mechanisms in humans

Christopher J. Morris, Jessica N. Yang, Joanna I. Garcia, Samantha Myers, Isadora Bozzi, Wei Wang, Orfeu M. Buxton, Steven A. Shea, Frank A.J.L. Scheer, 2015, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. E2225-E2234

Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: Methodology and Discussion

Nathaniel F. Watson, M. Safwan Badr, Gregory Belenky, Donald L. Bliwise, Orfeu M. Buxton, Daniel Buysse, David F. Dinges, James Gangwisch, Michael A. Grandner, Clete Kushida, Raman K. Malhotra, Jennifer L. Martin, Sanjay R. Patel, Stuart F. Quan, Esra Tasali, Michael Twery, Janet B. Croft, Elise Maher, Jerome A. Barrett, Sherene M. Thomas, Jonathan L. Heald, 2015, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine on p. 931-952

Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence

Monique LeBourgeois, Lauren Hale, Anne Marie Chang, Lameese Akacem, Hawley Montgomery-Downs, Orfeu Buxton, 2017, Pediatrics on p. S92-S96

Sleep in the modern family: Protective family routines for child and adolescent sleep

Orfeu M. Buxton, Anne Marie Chang, James C. Spilsbury, Taylor Bos, Helene Emsellem, Kristen L. Knutson, 2015, Sleep Health on p. 15-27

Does a Flexibility/Support Organizational Initiative Improve High-Tech Employees’ Well-Being? Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network

Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, Wen Fan, Shi Rong Lee, David Almeida, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Orfeu M. Buxton, 2016, American Sociological Review on p. 134-164

Youth Screen Media Habits and Sleep: Sleep-Friendly Screen Behavior Recommendations for Clinicians, Educators, and Parents

L Hale, G Kirschen, M LeBourgeois, M Gradisar, M Garrison, H Montgomery-Downs, H Kirschen, Susan McHale, Anne-Marie Chang, Orfeu Buxton, 2018, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America on p. 229-245

Human Resting Energy Expenditure Varies with Circadian Phase

Kirsi Marja Zitting, Nina Vujovic, Robin K. Yuan, Cheryl M. Isherwood, Jacob E. Medina, Wei Wang, Orfeu M. Buxton, Jonathan S. Williams, Charles A. Czeisler, Jeanne F. Duffy, 2018, Current Biology on p. 3685-3690.e3

News Articles Featuring Orfeu Buxton

Apr 23, 2025

Your Insomnia Pills Could Be Increasing Your Risk of Disability

A new study found that both insomnia and sleep medication use in older adults are linked to a significantly higher risk of developing a disability.

Full Article

Apr 21, 2025

Experts warn against a popular remedy for insomnia — it may increase risk of disability

A new study reports that seniors with insomnia also face higher odds of disability — and that risk persists even if they take medication to try to sleep more.

Full Article

Apr 17, 2025

Insomnia and sleep medication use connected to disability in older adults

Increases in insomnia were followed by increased risk of movement and self-care disabilities, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State.

Full Article

Jan 17, 2025

Feb. 5 lecture to discuss how sleep health affects daily life, long-term health

Orfeu Buxton, Elizabeth Susman Professor of Biobehavioral Health, will present the 2025 Pattishall Research Lecture

Full Article

Jan 01, 2025

Regular Bedtimes Help Kids Regulate Their Emotions

New behavioral methods in pediatric and developmental research go beyond parental reporting, which can often be skewed, and shed light on the importance of regular sleep patterns for children’s emotional regulation.

Full Article

Nov 11, 2024

Consistent bedtime linked with better child emotion and behavior regulation

Sleep can affect a child’s attitude and behavior, as many parents can attest, but a consistent bedtime may be more influential than sleep quality or duration, according to a new publication authored by researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development and Penn State College of Medicine.

Full Article

Aug 13, 2024

Less sleep and later bedtime in childhood linked to future substance use

A good night’s sleep is essential for children’s health and development, but childhood sleep patterns may also be linked to future substance use. A new study led by a team of Penn State researchers found that adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they went to bed later and slept fewer hours during childhood and adolescence.

Full Article

Mar 11, 2024

Researchers identify distinct sleep types and their impact on long-term health

Poor sleep habits are strongly associated with long-term chronic health conditions, according to decades of research. To better understand this relationship, a team led by researchers in the College of Health and Human Development identified four distinct patterns.

Full Article

Nov 15, 2023

PSU study links cardiovascular disease with workplace flexibility

The link between heart health and workplace flexibility

Full Article

Nov 09, 2023

Flexible working can significantly improve heart health, study shows

Flexible working can reduce someone’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke

Full Article

Nov 08, 2023

Workplace flexibility associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease

Increasing workplace flexibility may lower employees’ risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study led by researchers from Penn State and Harvard.

Full Article

Aug 08, 2023

Playing catch-up on weekends may not improve cardiovascular cost of sleep loss

Whether it’s work or play that prevents us from getting enough shut-eye during the week, assuming we can make up for it by sleeping in over the weekend is a mistake.

Full Article

May 10, 2023

Schools are experimenting with later start times

Will starting school later in the day help or hurt students more? Sleep experts say older kids need extra sleep

Full Article

May 08, 2023

Schools across US consider pushing back starting times to combat growing mental health issue among students

During the COVID pandemic, the number of consistently sad students soared

Full Article

Jun 01, 2021

Coupled brain activity, cerebrospinal fluid flow could indicate Alzheimer's risk

Penn State researchers may have discovered a potential marker to clinically evaluate patients’ risk for Alzheimer’s disease through non-invasive imaging tests, according to a study published in PLOS Biology. The finding may have implications for diagnosis and treatment of the disease that results in significant cognitive decline, the researchers said.

Full Article

Sep 17, 2020

Getting more of this could improve your happiness immediately

Each person’s time on this planet can be likened to a rollercoaster ride, filled with highs and lows. No one’s life is 100% perfect and great all the time, but it’s those bad times that help us appreciate and savor the good moments.

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Apr 21, 2020

Our sleep is linked to how we process coronavirus dread

Zyma Islam noticed her sleep began to change soon after the lockdown began. Islam is in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which has been under a strict lockdown for over three weeks. All forms of public transport are suspended. That means scores of daily wage earners—domestic helpers, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, and garment workers—have lost wages, and are now battling hunger.

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Mar 11, 2020

You Can Generate Happiness By Visiting These Natural Destinations

Heartbroken and depressed, my immune system took a dive. Then my doctor gave me a surprise suggestion.

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Oct 07, 2019

Sleepy and Hungry? Short Sleep May Contribute to Weight Gain

Not getting enough sleep, or getting low-quality sleep, leaves most people feeling poorly the next day. It’s common knowledge that a good night’s sleep is important for maintaining mental focus, peak athletic performance, and emotional resilience. But the effects of sleep, or the lack thereof, reach beyond cognition.

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Sep 27, 2019

Just four nights of bad sleep can make you gain weight, study claims

Just four nights of poor sleep can make you put on weight, a new study has revealed. Sleep disruption has been known to be have harmful effects on metabolism for some time.

Full Article

Sep 25, 2019

Here’s What Getting Less Than 7 Hours of Sleep a Night Can Do to You

We’re not getting enough sleep — and that’s having a significant impact on our day-to-day and long-term health.

Full Article

Sep 20, 2019

Sleep Loss Could Affect How Your Body Handles Fat

In a new study, researchers found that just a few days of sleep deprivation can make people feel less full after eating and metabolize the fat in food differently. This finding adds to the mounting evidence about just how harmful lack of sleep can be.

Full Article

Sep 20, 2019

Sleep deprivation may lead to slower metabolism, weight gain

Restricting sleep for just several days alters how we metabolize fats and changes how satisfied we are by a meal, according to new research conducted at Penn State and published in the Journal of Lipid Research.

Full Article

Sep 16, 2019

Lack of sleep affects fat metabolism

We're all a little short on sleep during the work week. A new study adds to the mounting evidence about just how harmful lack of sleep can be. In the Journal of Lipid Research, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report that just a few days of sleep deprivation can make participants feel less full after eating and metabolize the fat in food differently.

Full Article

May 22, 2019

Exercise may help teens sleep longer, more efficiently

Getting more exercise than normal — or being more sedentary than usual — for one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night, according to a new study led by Penn State.

Full Article