Nighttime sleep duration, 24-hour sleep duration and risk of all-cause mortality among adults: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Influence of race and age in sleep duration and mortality relationship among adults in the United States: results from the 2004 NHIS-NDI record linkage study

Limited information exists on age and racial disparities in sleep duration and mortality in the United States (US) population. This study compared the association between mortality and sleep duration within distinct races and age groups in the US. This study used data on 26,915 US citizens (≥ 18 years) from the 2004 wave of the National Health Interview Survey, linked to the National Death Index prospective mortality through 2019. Cox proportional hazard models were used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality by sleep duration, race (Whites, Black/African Americans, and Others (AIAN, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander)), and age (< 40, 40-60, and ≥ 60 years), while controlling for covariates such as sex, education, smoking status, disease history, and other vital factors. Race and age significantly modified the sleep duration-mortality relationship. Compared to other races, White participants exhibited higher mortality risks at all hours except at 5-6 h [HR: 0.993, 95% CI: 0.923-1.069]. Likewise, sleep duration associated mortality risks varied by age. Those at greater risk included < 40 years sleeping for 1-4 h [HR: 2.461, 95% CI: 1.446-4.187], 40-< 60 years sleeping for less than 7 h and more than 8 h, and ≥ 60 years sleeping for 9 h [HR: 1.309, 95% CI: 1.162-1.475] and ≥ 10 h [HR: 1.662, 95% CI: 1.486-1.858]. Age and race were significant effect modifiers in the sleep duration-mortality relationship. Thus, it is important to consider these factors when evaluating mortality risks associated with sleep patterns.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41105-024-00536-x.

The development of an EU-wide nutrition and physical activity expert knowledge base to support a personalised mobile application across various EU population groups

A healthy lifestyle comprising regular physical activity and an adequate diet is imperative for the prevention of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and some cancers. Advances in information computer technology offer the opportunity to provide personalised lifestyle advice directly to the individual through devices such as smartphones or tablets. The overall aim of the PROTEIN project (Wilson-Barnes et al., 2021) was to develop a smartphone application that could provide tailored and dynamic nutrition and physical activity advice directly to the individual in real time. However, to create this mobile health (m-health) smartphone application, a knowledge base of reference ranges for macro-/micronutrient intake, anthropometry, biochemical, physiological and sleep parameters was required to underpin the parameters of the recommender systems. Therefore, the principal aim of this emerging research paper is to describe the process by which experts in nutrition and physiology from the PROTEIN consortium collaborated to develop the nutritional and physical activity requirements, based upon existing recommendations, for 10 separate population groups living within the EU including, but not limited to healthy adults, adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, excess weight, obesity and iron deficiency anaemia. A secondary aim is to describe the development of a library of 24-h meal plans appropriate for the same groups and also encompassing various dietary preferences and allergies. Overall, the consortium devised an extensive nutrition and physical activity knowledge base that is pertinent to 10 separate EU user groups, is available in 7 different languages and is practically implemented via a library of culturally appropriate, 24-h meal plans.

Delayed bedtime on non-school days associates with higher weight and waist circumference in children: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with Mendelian randomisation

Sleep duration has been linked with obesity in population-based studies. Less is known about bedtimes and, especially, if discrepancy between bedtimes on school and non-school days associate with adiposity in children. The associations of self-reported bedtimes with the body mass index z-score (BMIz) and waist-to-height ratio (WtHr) were examined among children with a mean (SD) age of 11.2 (0.85) years in cross-sectional (n = 10,245) and longitudinal (n = 5085) study settings. The causal relationship of whether BMIz contributes to bedtimes, was further examined in a subset of 1064 participants by exploiting Mendelian randomisation (MR). After adjusting for sleep duration and other confounders, every 0.5 h later bedtime on non-school nights and a delay in bedtime in non-school nights compared with school nights associated with 0.048 (95% CI 0.027; 0.069) and 0.08 (95% CI 0.056; 0.105) higher BMIz as well as 0.001 (95% CI 0; 0.002) and 0.004 (95% CI 0.003; 0.005) with higher WtHr, respectively. Moreover, every 0.5-h delay in bedtime in non-school nights compared with school nights associated with 0.001 (95% CI 0; 0.002) greater increase in WtHr in the 2.5 years follow-up. Thus, a 2-h delay in bedtime at the age of 11 years corresponds with a 0.6 cm increase in waist circumference. The MR analysis did not indicate an opposite causal relationship: higher BMIz was not causing delayed bedtimes. Later bedtime on non-school days and discrepancy in bedtimes associated with increased BMIz and WtHr, while longitudinally these predicted higher WtHr, independently of sleep duration. Promoting early bedtimes, especially on weekends, should be considered in obesity prevention among school-aged children.

Sleep Quality and its Daytime Effects among University Students in the UAE

Objectives

To determine the irregularity in the sleep schedule among university students in the UAE and determine its correlation with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue.

Methods

This observational cross-sectional survey was electronically conducted among undergraduate students of Ajman University during the academic year 2022-2023. The participants were selected using a simple random sampling method. The instruments for data collection comprised of sleep schedule questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Fatigue Severity Scale. Data was subjected to chi-square analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Spearman's correlation.

Results

Of the 537 participants, 353 (65.7%) were female. The majority (57.2%) kept highly irregular bedtimes. The cohort's mean global PSQI score was 8.9±3.0 indicating poor sleep quality. There was a positive correlation between the irregular bedtime frequency and the global PSQI score (r = 0.311; p < 0.010). Most (70.8%) participants had a total high Fatigue Severity Scale score of ≥ 36. The scores of women (41.0±10.5) were significantly higher than those of men (38.5±11.0) (p =0.006). Around 53.0% of the participants had high ESS scores indicating excessive daytime sleepiness. There was also a significant correlation between ESS score and irregular bedtime frequency (r = 0.113; p =0.009).

Conclusions

The students at Ajman University had a high prevalence of irregular bedtime and inadequate sleeping hours. This was affecting their sleep quality and causing excessive daytime sleepiness. The students, especially women, were suffering from fatigue, potentially affecting their normal functionality. It is crucial to encourage students to establish regular sleep patterns and improve sleep habits to promote their productivity and general well-being.

Individual sleep need is flexible and dynamically related to cognitive function

Given that sleep deprivation studies consistently show that short sleep causes neurocognitive deficits, the effects of insufficient sleep on brain health and cognition are of great interest and concern. Here we argue that experimentally restricted sleep is not a good model for understanding the normal functions of sleep in naturalistic settings. Cross-disciplinary research suggests that human sleep is remarkably dependent on environmental conditions and social norms, thus escaping universally applicable rules. Sleep need varies over time and differs between individuals, showing a complex relationship with neurocognitive function. This aspect of sleep is rarely addressed in experimental work and is not reflected in expert recommendations about sleep duration. We recommend focusing on the role of individual and environmental factors to improve our understanding of the relationship between human sleep and cognition.

Relationships between grit and lifestyle factors in undergraduate college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: To investigate the influence of grit on physical activity, sleep and diet in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: 125 undergraduate students participated in the study. Participants completed an online survey while enrolled in an online class during June, 2020. Methods: The online questionairre featured the following validated survey instruments: International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants Short Form and the grit short form. Effects of grit on lifestyle behaviors were explored using several statistical approaches. Results: We found that individuals with more grit reported better eating and sleeping behaviors compared to those with less grit. However, we did not find an influence of grit on physical activity or sitting time. Conclusion: Our findings support that personality traits encompassed in grit contribute to college students reporting healthier dietary habits and better sleep quality during a global pandemic.

Association of sleep duration with atrial fibrillation/flutter mortality in the United States: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

The association between sleep duration and atrial fibrillation risk is poorly understood, with inconsistent findings reported by several studies. We sought to assess the association between long sleep duration and mortality due to atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF/AFL).

METHODS

The 2016-2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research dataset was used to identify death records secondary to AF/AFL in the United States population. We used the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset of sleep duration at the county level. All counties were grouped into quartiles based on the percentage of their population with long sleep duration (i.e., ≥ 7 h), Q1 being the lowest and Q4 the highest quartile. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) were calculated for each quartile. County Health Rankings for Texas were used to adjust the AAMR for comorbidities using linear regression.

RESULTS

Overall, the AAMR for AF/AFL were highest in Q4 (65.9 [95% CI, 65.5-66.2] per 100,000 person-years) and lowest in Q1 (52.3 [95% CI, 52.1-52.5] per 100,000 person-years). The AAMR for AF/AFL increased stepwise from the lowest to highest quartiles of the percentage population with long sleep duration. After adjustment for the county health ranks of Texas, long sleep duration remained associated with a significantly higher AAMR (coefficient 220.6 (95% CI, 21.53-419.72, p-value = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Long sleep duration was associated with higher AF/AFL mortality. Increased focus on risk reduction for AF, public awareness about the importance of optimal sleep duration, and further research to elucidate a potential causal relationship between sleep duration and AF are warranted.

Sleep Duration and Daytime Napping and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Japanese Men and Women: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the impacts of sleep duration and daytime napping on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

In this study, 20,318 participants (7,597 men, 12,721 women) aged 40-79 years without a history of T2DM, stroke, coronary heart disease, or cancer at baseline (1988-1990), completed the baseline survey and the 5-year follow-up questionnaires, which included average sleep duration, napping habits, and self-reports of physician-diagnosed diabetes. The multivariable odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a logistic regression model.

RESULTS

During the 5-year follow-up, 531 new cases of T2DM (266 men and 265 women) were documented. Sleep duration ≥10 hours was associated with higher risk of T2DM compared to sleep duration of 7 hours (OR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.28-3.08). The excess risk was observed for both sexes and primarily found among the non-overweight; the multivariable ORs of sleeping ≥10 hours compared to 7 hours were 2.05 (95% CI, 1.26-3.35) for the non-overweight (BMI <25 kg/m2) and 1.38 (95% CI, 0.49-3.83) for the overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2). The respective ORs of nappers versus non-nappers were 1.30 (95% CI, 1.03-1.63) and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.65-1.29). Among the non-overweight, nappers who slept ≥10 hours had the highest risk of T2DM (OR 2.84; 95% CI, 1.57-5.14), non-nappers who slept ≥10 hours (OR 2.27; 95% CI, 1.27-4.06), and nappers who slept <10 hours (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03-1.64), compared with non-nappers who slept <10 hours.

CONCLUSION

Long sleep duration was associated with the risk of T2DM in both sexes, which was confined to the non-overweight.

No phenotypic or genotypic evidence for a link between sleep duration and brain atrophy

Short sleep is held to cause poorer brain health, but is short sleep associated with higher rates of brain structural decline? Analysing 8,153 longitudinal MRIs from 3,893 healthy adults, we found no evidence for an association between sleep duration and brain atrophy. In contrast, cross-sectional analyses (51,295 observations) showed inverse U-shaped relationships, where a duration of 6.5 (95% confidence interval, (5.7, 7.3)) hours was associated with the thickest cortex and largest volumes relative to intracranial volume. This fits converging evidence from research on mortality, health and cognition that points to roughly seven hours being associated with good health. Genome-wide association analyses suggested that genes associated with longer sleep for below-average sleepers were linked to shorter sleep for above-average sleepers. Mendelian randomization did not yield evidence for causal impacts of sleep on brain structure. The combined results challenge the notion that habitual short sleep causes brain atrophy, suggesting that normal brains promote adequate sleep duration-which is shorter than current recommendations.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Sleep Duration Life Expectancies among Men and Women in Mid-to-Late Life

This analysis documents U.S. racial/ethnic and gender differences in life expectancies with different self-reported sleep durations among adults aged 50 and older. We used self-reported sleep duration and linked mortality information from the 2004-2015 National Health Interview Survey (n = 145,015) to calculate Sullivan Method Lifetables for life expectancies with different self-reported sleep duration states: short (≤6 hours), optimal (seven to 8 hours), and long (≥9 hours) sleep duration per-day by race/ethnicity and gender. Non-Hispanic Black men (35.8%, 95% CI: 34.8%-36.8%) and women (36.5%, 95% CI: 35.7%-37.1%) exhibited the highest proportion of years lived with short sleep duration followed by Hispanic men (31.1%, 95% CI: 29.9%-32.3%) and women (34.1%, 95% CI: 33.1%-35.1%) and Non-Hispanic White men (25.8%, 95% CI: 25.4%-26.2%) and women (27.4%, 95% CI: 27.0%-27.7%). These results highlight how race/ethnic inequality in sleep duration and life expectancy are intertwined among older adults in the U.S.

An Examination of the Associations between Nutritional Composition, Social Jet Lag and Temporal Sleep Variability in Young Adults

While dietary intake has previously been related to various indices of poor sleep (e.g., short sleep duration, poor sleep quality), to date, few studies have examined chrononutrition from the perspectives of the relationship between dietary intake and social jet lag and temporal sleep variability. Moreover, recently it has been suggested that previous methods of measuring social jet lag have the potential to lead to large overestimations. Together, this precludes a clear understanding of the role of nutritional composition in the pathophysiology of poor sleep, via social jet lag and temporal sleep variability, or vice versa. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between nutrient intake and social jet lag (using a revised index, taking account of intention to sleep and sleep onset and offset difficulties), and temporal sleep variability. Using a cross-sectional survey, 657 healthy participants (mean age 26.7 ± 6.1 years), without sleep disorders, were recruited via an online platform and completed measures of weekly dietary intake, social jet lag, temporal sleep variability, stress/sleep reactivity and mood. Results showed limited associations between nutritional composition and social jet lag. However, levels of temporal sleep variability were predicted by consumption of polyunsaturated fats, sodium, chloride and total energy intake. The results suggest further examinations of specific nutrients are warranted in a first step to tailoring interventions to manage diet and temporal variabilities in sleep patterns.

Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, and Insomnia in Association With Self-Rated Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objective This study undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between sleep duration, sleep quality, and insomnia in association with self-rated health.Methods Studies that had examined the relationship between sleep duration, sleep quality, and insomnia with self-rated health were eligible. PubMed and Scopus were the two main databases for searching for studies related to this meta-analysis. The Google Scholar database as a source of gray literature was also searched by hand. This search was from the beginning of the formation of databases until the end of January 2022, and the search language was limited to articles published in English. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool was used to assess the quality of studies. For this meta-analysis, odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were extracted or calculated. The pool of studies was processed by the random effects method.Results Twenty-six studies were included in this meta-analysis. Sleep duration of ≤ 8 hours per day (h/d) (odds ratio = 1.58 and 95% confidence interval = [1.41–1.77]) and sleep duration of > 8 h/d (odds ratio = 1.32 and 95% confidence interval = [1.17–1.50]) are associated with poor self-rated health. Poor sleep quality and insomnia are associated with poor self-rated health. Conclusions Sleep problems have a negative effect on self-rated health, and therefore, effective interventions can help improve sleep.

Association between Life's Essential 8 score and risk of premature mortality in people with and without type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study

AIMS

To evaluate the association of cardiovascular health (CVH), measured by Life's Essential 8 score, with the risk of premature mortality and to determine the patterns of CVH-related differences in life expectancy among people with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study included 309,789 participants (age 56.6 ± 8.1 years; 46% men) enroled in the UK Biobank. The Life's Essential 8 composite measure consists of four health behaviours (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, and sleep) and four health factors (BMI, non-HDL cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure), and the maximum CVH score was 100 points. CVH was categorised into low, moderate, and high groups. Premature death was defined as death before the age of 75. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and life expectancy was estimated.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 12.7 years, 13,683 cases of premature death were documented. Compared to participants with low CVH, the multivariable HRs (95% CIs) of premature death were 0.59 (0.56-0.62) and 0.42 (0.39-0.45) for the moderate and high CVH groups, respectively. This association was stronger in participants with T2D compared with those without T2D. At the age of 50 years, compared to low CVH groups, high CVH was associated with a gain of 9.79 (9.70-9.87) and 5.58 (5.48-5.67) additional life years for men with and without T2D, respectively. The corresponding life gain for women with and without T2D was 24.21 (24.13-24.27) and 10.18 (10.10-10.27), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Maintaining an ideal Life's Essential 8 score may provide more benefits for people with T2D than for those without T2D, including a lower risk of premature death and an increased lifespan.

Relationship between night-sleep duration and risk for depression among middle-aged and older people: A dose-response meta-analysis

Objective: The study aimed to examine the dose-response associations between night-sleep duration and depression risk in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and the Wanfang data knowledge service platforms from inception to 31 July 2022. Cohort and case-control studies assessing the relationship between night-sleep duration and depression were selected. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the quality of the published research. Two researchers carried out data extraction and quality assessment. The restricted cubic spline function and generalized least squares method were used to establish dose-response relationships between sleep duration and depression. We aimed to analyze the estimated effect size presented as the risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) using Stata 12.0. Result: Six cohort studies with 33,595 participants were included in this meta-analysis. A U-shaped association between sleep duration and depression risk was revealed. On one hand, compared with 7-h of night sleep, both shorter and longer sleep duration were associated with an increased risk of depression (5 h: risk ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.12; 6 h: RR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.02-1.04; 8 h: RR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.15; 9 h: RR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.17-1.47; 10 h: RR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.31-1.92; non-linear test p < 0.05). On the other hand, an increased risk of depression with shorter sleep duration was observed in middle-aged and older people among the non-Asian population (5 h: RR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.17), while both shorter and longer sleep duration can increase the risk of depression among an Asian population (5 h: RR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.07-1.13; 6 h: RR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.02-1.05; 8 h: RR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.05-1.14; 9 h: RR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.18-1.53; 10 h: RR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.36-2.12). Conclusion: The lowest-risk onset of depression occurred among middle-aged and older people with 7 h of night sleep, which suggested that shorter and longer night-sleep duration might lead to an increased incidence of depression. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=344052, identifier 344052.

A two-mediator serial mediation chain of the association between social isolation and impaired sleep in old age

Poor sleep is a long-term public health issue that has become increasingly prevalent among socially isolated older adults. However, research on the mechanisms explaining the link between social isolation and impaired sleep (IS) remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study explored the serial mediating effects of loneliness and mental distress on the association of social isolation with IS among Ghanaian older adults. We analyzed data from 1201 adults aged ≥ 50 from Ghana's AgeHeaPsyWel-HeaSeeB study (mean age = 66.14, SD = 11.85, age range = 50-111; women = 63.28%). Measures included the UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale, modified Berkman-Syme Social Network Index, Sleep Quality Scale, and Mental Distress Questionnaire. We used bootstrapping techniques from Hayes' PROCESS macro program to estimate the hypothesized serial mediation. Social isolation was significantly associated with IS (β = 0.242, p < 0.001). Crucially, social isolation indirectly predicted IS via three significant mediating pathways. Loneliness accounted for 17.6% (β = 0.054, CI = 0.096, 0.016), mental distress accounted for 6.5% (β = 0.020, 95% CI = 0.004, 0.040), and loneliness and mental distress accounted for 32.2% (β = 0.099, 95% CI = 0.065, 0.138) of the overall effect. The total mediating effect was 56.4%. These findings suggest that the social isolation-sleep link is respectively and serially explained by loneliness and mental distress. Social integrative interventions for sleep quality in old age should target mental and emotional well-being.

Sleep and breast and prostate cancer risk in the MCC-Spain study

Breast and prostate cancers have been associated with circadian disruption. Some previous studies examined associations of sleep duration and breast or prostate cancer risk though findings remain inconsistent. This study examines associations of a range of detailed sleep characteristics and breast and prostate cancer risk in a large-scale population-based case-control study, MCC-Spain. A total of 1738 incident breast cancer cases, 1112 prostate cancer cases and frequency matched controls (n = 1910, and 1493 respectively) were recruited. Detailed data on habitual sleep duration, quality, timing, and daytime napping ("siesta") were collected at recruitment. Additional data on sleep habits during both the previous year and at age 40 years were also subsequently captured. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. There were no associations of habitual sleep duration (h), timing of sleep, or any or specific sleep problems, and either breast and prostate cancer risk. There was a significant positive association of ever taking habitual siestas at recruitment and breast cancer risk (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.06-1.42), which strengthened with increased frequency or duration. There were also significant positive associations observed for both breast and prostate cancer, among those reporting recent sleep problems, but not sleep problems at age 40 years, in a subsequent circadian questionnaire. Adverse associations with siesta and disturbed sleep during the previous year likely reflect symptoms of developing/diagnosed cancer and comorbidities. Overall, there was no clear association between various sleep characteristics and breast or prostate cancer risk observed.

Longer depressive duration reduces sleep duration more: A longitudinal study in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese

BACKGROUND

Quantifying the effect of depression on sleep duration is of great importance to the diagnosis, control, prevention of sleep-related diseases and understanding related biological mechanisms. However, existing studies explored the effect without considering depressive duration, which may cause inaccurate results.

METHODS

Accessing the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018, we used the interval between two interviews with persistent depression status to approximate depressive duration. Five analysis subsamples with different depressive durations, i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 years, were obtained. The change amount of sleep duration between two interviews was used as the outcome variable. A multiple linear model was independently used to estimate the effect in each subsample, and meta-regression was used to test the trend. Subgroup analyses in terms of genders, ages and baseline sleep durations were performed.

RESULTS

On average, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7-years depressive durations significantly reduced sleep duration by 0.46, 0.57, 0.72, 0.75, 1.07 h (P < 0.001), respectively. Especially for the elderly, female, and participants with normal baseline sleep duration, the reduction was larger. Trend test showed that the variation trend was significant (P < 0.001). Similar results were found in the subgroup analyses.

LIMITATIONS

Sleep duration and depression are not measured by gold-standard methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression significantly reduces sleep duration, especially for the elderly, female, and people with normal baseline sleep duration. Longer depressive duration reduces sleep duration more. Such finding provides more detailed epidemiological evidence for depression-sleep relationship.

Life's Essential 8: Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association's Construct of Cardiovascular Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

In 2010, the American Heart Association defined a novel construct of cardiovascular health to promote a paradigm shift from a focus solely on disease treatment to one inclusive of positive health promotion and preservation across the life course in populations and individuals. Extensive subsequent evidence has provided insights into strengths and limitations of the original approach to defining and quantifying cardiovascular health. In response, the American Heart Association convened a writing group to recommend enhancements and updates. The definition and quantification of each of the original metrics (Life's Simple 7) were evaluated for responsiveness to interindividual variation and intraindividual change. New metrics were considered, and the age spectrum was expanded to include the entire life course. The foundational contexts of social determinants of health and psychological health were addressed as crucial factors in optimizing and preserving cardiovascular health. This presidential advisory introduces an enhanced approach to assessing cardiovascular health: Life's Essential 8. The components of Life's Essential 8 include diet (updated), physical activity, nicotine exposure (updated), sleep health (new), body mass index, blood lipids (updated), blood glucose (updated), and blood pressure. Each metric has a new scoring algorithm ranging from 0 to 100 points, allowing generation of a new composite cardiovascular health score (the unweighted average of all components) that also varies from 0 to 100 points. Methods for implementing cardiovascular health assessment and longitudinal monitoring are discussed, as are potential data sources and tools to promote widespread adoption in policy, public health, clinical, institutional, and community settings.

Association between Preexisting Sleep Disorders and Oncologic Outcome in Patients with Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Nationwide Propensity Score-Matched Population-Based Cohort Study

Purpose: To investigate the effects of preexisting sleep disorders on the oncologic outcomes of patients receiving standard treatments for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: The patients recruited from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database who had received surgery for stage I−IVB OSCC. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze all-cause mortality, locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM). The patients were categorized into those with and without sleep disorders (Groups 1 and 2, respectively) through propensity score matching. Results: In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM for Group 1 compared with Group 2 were 1.19 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04−1.36; p = 0.011), 1.47 (95% CI: 1.23−1.75; p < 0.001), and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.02−1.44; p = 0.025), respectively. Conclusion: OSCC patients with sleep disorders demonstrated poorer oncologic outcomes than did those without sleep disorders. Therefore, before OSCC surgery, patients with OSCC should be screened for preexisting sleep disorders because they may serve as predictors for survival in these patients. Future studies investigating the survival benefits of pharmacological and behavioral treatments for sleep problems in patients with OSCC are warranted.

Sleep and circadian informatics data harmonization: a workshop report from the Sleep Research Society and Sleep Research Network

The increasing availability and complexity of sleep and circadian data are equally exciting and challenging. The field is in constant technological development, generating better high-resolution physiological and molecular data than ever before. Yet, the promise of large-scale studies leveraging millions of patients is limited by suboptimal approaches for data sharing and interoperability. As a result, integration of valuable clinical and basic resources is problematic, preventing knowledge discovery and rapid translation of findings into clinical care. To understand the current data landscape in the sleep and circadian domains, the Sleep Research Society (SRS) and the Sleep Research Network (now a task force of the SRS) organized a workshop on informatics and data harmonization, presented at the World Sleep Congress 2019, in Vancouver, Canada. Experts in translational informatics gathered with sleep research experts to discuss opportunities and challenges in defining strategies for data harmonization. The goal of this workshop was to fuel discussion and foster innovative approaches for data integration and development of informatics infrastructure supporting multi-site collaboration. Key recommendations included collecting and storing findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data; identifying existing international cohorts and resources supporting research in sleep and circadian biology; and defining the most relevant sleep data elements and associated metadata that could be supported by early integration initiatives. This report introduces foundational concepts with the goal of facilitating engagement between the sleep/circadian and informatics communities and is a call to action for the implementation and adoption of data harmonization strategies in this domain.

Association between Pre-Existing Sleep Disorders and Survival Rates of Patients with Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of pre-existing sleep disorders on the survival outcomes of women receiving standard treatments for breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). METHODS: We recruited patients from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database who had received surgery for clinical stage I–III breast IDC. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze all-cause mortality. We categorized the patients into those with and without sleep disorders (Groups 1 and 2, respectively) through propensity score matching. RESULTS: In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality for Group 1 compared with Group 2 was 1.51 (95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.91; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the sleep disorder group had poorer survival rates than the non-sleep disorder group in breast cancer. Therefore, patients should be screened and evaluated for pre-existing sleep disorders prior to breast surgery, with such disorders serving as a predictor of survival in patients with breast cancer. Future studies may investigate the survival benefits of pharmacological and behavioral treatments for sleep problems in patients with breast cancer.

Short Sleep Duration on the Night Before Surgery Is Associated With Postoperative Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

As the world is rapidly aging, and the number of elderly patients who undergo surgery is rising, postoperative cognitive decline among those patients has become an increasing healthcare problem. Although understanding the risk factors and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive decline is critically important from a preventative viewpoint, such knowledge and evidence are lacking. A growing body of evidence suggest an association between cognitive function and sleep duration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between postoperative cognitive function and sleep duration on the night before surgery using a wearable sleep tracker. In this 6-month prospective cohort study, we analyzed data from 194 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent elective non-cardiac and non-cranial surgery under general anesthesia. According to the sleep duration on the night before surgery, patients were categorized into following four groups: <5, 5–7, 7–9, and >9 h. Perioperative cognitive function and domains were assessed using a neuropsychological test battery, and the incidence and prevalence of cognitive decline over 6 months after surgery were analyzed using the multiple logistic regression analysis. During the 6-month follow-up period, 41 patients (21%) developed cognitive decline. The incidence of cognitive decline was significantly elevated for the patients with sleep duration < 5 h (vs. 7–9 h; surgical duration-adjusted odds ratio, 3.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–10.2; P < 0.05). The association between sleep duration and prevalence of cognitive decline was limited to the early postoperative period (at 1 week and 1 month). Among the cognitive domains assessed, attentional function was significantly impaired in patients with a sleep duration < 5 h [vs. 7–9 h at 1 week; 4/37 (10.8%) vs. 0/73 (0%); P < 0.05]. In conclusion, sleep duration < 5 h on the night before surgery was significantly associated with worse attentional function after surgery and higher incidence of cognitive decline. The present results indicate that sleep deprivation on the night before surgery may have a temporary but significantly negative influence on the patient's postoperative cognitive function and is a potential target for preventing cognitive decline.

Mortality associated with nonrestorative short sleep or nonrestorative long time-in-bed in middle-aged and older adults

Associations of sleep duration with human health could differ depending on whether sleep is restorative. Using data from 5804 participants of the Sleep Heart Health Study, we examined the longitudinal association of sleep restfulness combined with polysomnography-measured total sleep time (TST) or time in bed (TIB), representing different sleeping behaviors, with all-cause mortality. Among middle-aged adults, compared with restful intermediate TST quartile, the lowest TST quartile with feeling unrested was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–2.33); the highest TST quartile with feeling rested was associated with lower mortality (HR, 0.55; 95% CI 0.32–0.97). Among older adults, the highest TIB quartile with feeling unrested was associated with higher mortality, compared with restful intermediate TIB quartile (HR, 1.57; 95% CI 1.23–2.01). Results suggest a role of restorative sleep in differentiating the effects of sleep duration on health outcomes in midlife and beyond.

OUP accepted manuscript

Background

Evidence linking chronic kidney disease (CKD) and sleep duration is inconsistent. This study examined whether sleep duration is associated with a long-term risk of kidney function decline.

Methods

This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study included 82 001 participants who visited a primary care centre in Japan. Participants were categorized into CKD risk groups and sleep duration categories according to their self-reported average nightly sleep duration. The relationship between average nightly sleep duration and the incidence of composite renal outcome comprised a ≥40% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline and a decline in eGFR to <15 mL/min/1.73 m² was evaluated.

Results

The mean age and eGFR (±standard deviation) of the patient cohort were 45.8 (±12.4) years and 81.8 (±15.4) mL/min/1.73 m², respectively. A total of 41 891 participants (51.1%) were women. During the median follow-up of 5.1 years [interquartile range 2.2–9.6], 4214 (5.1%) participants achieved the composite renal outcome. Only the long and very long sleep durations (≥8 h/night) were associated with an increased incidence of the composite renal outcome compared with the reference duration (7 h/night) [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.22 and 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.36 and 1.13–1.84, for long and very long sleep durations, respectively]. Furthermore, this association was significant for both long and very long sleep durations in the low CKD risk group but only for long sleep duration in the intermediate CKD risk group. The results of the sex-specific analysis showed that men had a decreased risk of achieving the composite renal outcome (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.79–1.06), while there was an increased risk for women (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.02–1.28).

Conclusions

Average sleep durations ≥8 h/night were associated with an increased incidence of poor renal outcomes over time. However, a longitudinal cohort study is required to confirm whether sleep duration can prevent poor renal outcomes.

Sleep Disturbance and Self-management in Adults With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Qualitative Study

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) survivors often experience sleep disturbances. Little is known about sleep-management practices used to improve their sleep. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore interest in and engagement with self-management practices to promote sleep health in SAH survivors. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 30 SAH survivors recruited from a university hospital. We conducted content analysis of interview transcripts. Three themes and 15 subcategories were identified: (1) sleep disturbances (difficulties falling asleep, wake after sleep onset, daytime sleepiness, too much or insufficient sleep, and poor sleep quality); (2) sleep-management practices (exercise, regular sleep schedule, relaxation, keeping busy and staying active, changing beverage intake, taking supplements, taking medications, recharging energy, and barriers to sleep management); and (3) consulting with healthcare providers (discussing sleep problems with healthcare providers). Self-management strategies focusing on health-promoting behaviors may improve SAH survivors' sleep health.

Insomnia and other sleep disorders in dermatology patients: A questionnaire-based study with 634 patients

Insufficient sleep duration and quality are associated with various adverse health outcomes. Whereas sleep disorders have been studied in a few skin conditions, data in a more comprehensive dermatology population are lacking. We sought to describe the prevalence, causes, and consequences of sleep disorders in dermatology patients. In this cross-sectional, single-center study, dermatology patients completed a questionnaire addressing skin-related and non-skin-related health, sleep behavior, causes, and consequences of sleep disorders. According to the Regensburg Insomnia Scale, 27.92% of the 634 participants had insomnia (177 of 634 patients). Of these 177 patients, 115 (64.97%) were subjectively sleep disturbed, with skin-related causes accounting for 55.65% (64 of 115 patients), non-skin-related accounting for 33.04% (38 of 115 patients), and combined accounting for 11.30% (13 of 115 patients). Itch was the leading cause of skin-related sleep disorders (64.49%, 50 of 77 patients), followed by skin-related pain (55.84%, 43 of 77 patients) and skin-related fearful thoughts (54.55%, 42 of 77 patients). Sleep disorders reduced daytime performance in 68.70% (79 of 115 patients) and sleep quality of relatives in 20.87% (24 of 115 patients). The prevalence of insomnia among different diagnostic categories ranged from 20.31% to 50.00%. The most common strategy to improve sleep was taking sleep medication (57.39%, 66 of 115 patients). We conclude that sleep disorders are highly prevalent in dermatology patients, often leading to reduced daytime performance, impaired sleep among the patients' relatives, and increased use of substances.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Other Sleep Parameters and Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarise the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema. To examine the effects of other sleep parameters on diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema. To discuss the pathophysiology of diabetic eye changes and how it is related to obstructive sleep apnoea.

RECENT FINDINGS

Conflicting data exists in terms of the association of diabetic eye changes with sleep apnoea and/or other sleep parameters. Various cross-sectional studies show PDR to be associated with the prevalence of OSA. Patients who underwent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment were significantly less likely to develop pre/proliferative DR. Secondary sleep parameters generally are not associated with DR except for long duration of sleep. Differences in reporting could be due to the different thresholds set to define OSA/ODI and severity of DR/DME, in addition to factors used in multivariate analysis. There is a need for further studies with long-term follow-up and to assess the impact of CPAP on the development and progression of diabetic eye change(s).

The association of sleep duration and metabolic syndrome in the Bandare-Kong cohort study, a cross-sectional survey (finding from PERSIAN cohort study)

BACKGROUND

A variety of health problems, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), have been linked to sleep disorders. While numerous epidemiological studies have shown a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and poor health outcomes, the results were limited and inconsistent. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between sleep duration and MetS.

METHODS

This population-based study was conducted on the participants aged 35-70 of Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study, a part of Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). MetS was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria and the Iranian-specific cut-off for waist circumference (≥ 95 cm). Sleep information was extracted through a standard questionnaire based on self-reported information. Data were analyzed by R software using generalized additive models (GAMs). A statistically significant level was considered as P < 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 3695 participants were included in the analyses. The mean age was 48.05 years (SD 9.36), and 2067 (55.9%) were female. The estimated Prevalence of MetS was 35.9%, and women appeared to be more likely to have MetS than men (P < 0.001). There was a non-linear and linear association between sleep duration and the risk of MetS in women and men, respectively. The lowest risk was observed among those with 7-7.5 h of sleep duration per night.

CONCLUSION

Long sleep duration was associated with increased risk of MetS and higher MetS severity score in both genders, while the short sleep duration increased the risk of Mets as well as MetS severity score just in women. The longitudinal studies would be suggested to assess the relationship between sleep quality and quantity components and MetS.

Sleep duration and metabolic syndrome: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

We examined the association between self-reported sleep duration and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Data were collected from 36 cross-sectional and 9 longitudinal studies with a total of 164,799 MetS subjects and 430,895 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) for prevalent MetS and risk ratios (RRs) for incident MetS were calculated through meta-analyses of adjusted data from individual studies. Short sleep duration was significantly associated with increased prevalent MetS (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.05-1.18) and incident MetS (RR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07-1.53) in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, respectively. Furthermore, long sleep duration was significantly associated with increased prevalent MetS in cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.23), but not incident MetS (RR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.95-1.41) in longitudinal studies. Interestingly, the association between long sleep and prevalent MetS was found in sleep duration defined by 24-h sleep (including naps) rather than nighttime sleep. Our findings suggest 1) a "U-shape" relationship between sleep duration and MetS in cross-sectional studies and 2) association between short sleep duration, but not long sleep duration with incident MetS. Future studies should shed light on the underlying mechanisms related to the association between sleep duration and MetS and examine if normalizing sleep duration reduces MetS risk in the general population.

Association of Sleep Duration With All- and Major-Cause Mortality Among Adults in Japan, China, Singapore, and Korea

IMPORTANCE

The association between long sleep duration and mortality appears stronger in East Asian populations than in North American or European populations.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the sex-specific association between sleep duration and all-cause and major-cause mortality in a pooled longitudinal cohort and to stratify the association by age and body mass index.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study of individual-level data from 9 cohorts in the Asia Cohort Consortium was performed from January 1, 1984, to December 31, 2002. The final population included participants from Japan, China, Singapore, and Korea. Mean (SD) follow-up time was 14.0 (5.0) years for men and 13.4 (5.3) years for women. Data analysis was performed from August 1, 2018, to May 31, 2021.

EXPOSURES

Self-reported sleep duration, with 7 hours as the reference category.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Mortality, including deaths from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression with shared frailty models adjusted for age and the key self-reported covariates of marital status, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, history of diabetes and hypertension, and menopausal status (for women).

RESULTS

For 322 721 participants (mean [SD] age, 54.5 [9.2] years; 178 542 [55.3%] female), 19 419 deaths occurred among men (mean [SD] age of men, 53.6 [9.0] years) and 13 768 deaths among women (mean [SD] age of women, 55.3 [9.2] years). A sleep duration of 7 hours was the nadir for associations with all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and other-cause mortality in both men and women, whereas 8 hours was the mode sleep duration among men and the second most common sleep duration among women. The association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality was J-shaped for both men and women. The greatest association for all-cause mortality was with sleep durations of 10 hours or longer for both men (hazard ratio [HR], 1.34; 95% CI, 1.26-1.44) and women (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.36-1.61). Sex was a significant modifier of the association between sleep duration and mortality from cardiovascular disease (χ25 = 13.47, P = .02), cancer (χ25 = 16.04, P = .007), and other causes (χ25 = 12.79, P = .03). Age was a significant modifier of the associations among men only (all-cause mortality: χ25 = 41.49, P < .001; cancer: χ25 = 27.94, P < .001; other-cause mortality: χ25 = 24.51, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this cohort study suggest that sleep duration is a behavioral risk factor for mortality in both men and women. Age was a modifier of the association between sleep duration in men but not in women. Sleep duration recommendations in these populations may need to be considered in the context of sex and age.

Sleep duration and health outcomes: an umbrella review

PURPOSE

To collect existing evidence on the relationship between sleep duration and health outcomes.

METHODS

A thorough search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to January, 2021. Meta-analyses of observational and interventional studies were eligible if they examined the associations between sleep duration and human health.

RESULTS

In total, this umbrella review identified 69 meta-analyses with 11 outcomes for cancers and 30 outcomes for non-cancer conditions. Inappropriate sleep durations may significantly elevate the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), cognitive decline, coronary heart disease (CHD), depression, falls, frailty, lung cancer, metabolic syndrome (MS), and stroke. Dose-response analysis revealed that a 1-h reduction per 24 hours is associated with an increased risk by 3-11% of all-cause mortality, CHD, osteoporosis, stroke, and T2DM among short sleepers. Conversely, a 1-h increment in long sleepers is associated with a 7-17% higher risk of stroke mortality, CHD, stroke, and T2DM in adults.

CONCLUSION

Inappropriate sleep duration is a risk factor for developing non-cancer conditions. Decreasing and increasing sleep hours towards extreme sleep durations are associated with poor health outcomes.

Landscape of biomedical informatics standards and terminologies for clinical sleep medicine research: A systematic review

A systematic literature review was conducted to understand the current landscape of standards and terminologies used in clinical sleep medicine. Literature search on PubMed, EMBASE, Medline and Web of Science was performed in March 2021 using terms related to sleep, terminologies, standards, harmonization, semantics, ontology, and electronic health records (EHR). Systematic review was carried out according to PRISMA. Among 128 included studies, 35 were eligible for review. Articles were broadly classified into six topics: standard terminology efforts, reporting standards, databases and resources, data integration efforts, EHR abstraction and standards for automated sleep scoring. This review highlights the progress and challenges related to establishing computable terminologies in sleep medicine, and identifies gaps, limitations and research opportunities related to data integration that could improve adoption of clinical research informatics in this field. There is a need for the systematic adoption of standardized terminologies in all areas of sleep medicine. Existing data aggregation resources could be leveraged to support the development of an integrated infrastructure and subsequent deployment in EHR systems within sleep centers. Ultimately, the adoption of standardized practices for documenting sleep disorders and related traits facilitates data sharing, thus accelerating discovery and clinical translation of informatics approaches applied to sleep medicine.

Impact of Sleep Duration on Mortality and Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the 2007-2015 KNHANES

INTRODUCTION

In the general population, short and long sleep durations have been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, this association remains unclear in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined the relationship of sleep duration to mortality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with CKD.

METHODS

A total of 1,783 adults with CKD who participated in the 2007-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Participants were categorized into 3 groups according to self-reported sleep duration: <6 h (short sleepers), 6-8 h, and >8 h (long sleepers). The outcome variables were all-cause mortality and HRQOL. HRQOL was assessed using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) index.

RESULTS

During a median of 6.4 years, 481 (27%) deaths occurred. In unadjusted Cox regression analysis, long sleepers with CKD had an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26-2.09). This significant association remained after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (HR, 1.36; 95% CI: 1.05-1.75); however, it was lost after adjusting for CKD stage, social and lifestyle factors, and presence of comorbidities (HR, 1.15; 95% CI: 0.89-1.49). Compared with 6- to 8-h sleepers with CKD, long sleepers with CKD had significantly worse HRQOL in multivariable linear regression models. The adjusted means of the EQ-5D index were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.77-0.82) for short sleepers, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.80-0.82) for 6- to 8-h sleepers, and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.73-0.79) for long sleepers (p = 0.01).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Long sleep duration is associated with poor HRQOL in Korean adults with CKD. The weak association between long sleep duration and mortality was attenuated after multivariable adjustment in this study.

Sleep pattern gender differences and fragmentation in postpartum parents of twins

OBJECTIVE

Parents of newborn twins are at risk for both shortened sleep duration and sleep discontinuity. The purpose of this study was to characterize weekday and weekend sleep duration, sleep continuity, and awakenings in both mothers and fathers of newborn twins during the first 3 months at home.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sleep-wake parameters were assessed at two time points using self-report diaries and actigraphy in 75 families with newborn twins. To assess sleep on weekdays and weekends with minimal subject burden, actigraphy recordings of both parents commenced at 9:00 p.m. Saturday and terminated at 9:00 p.m. Tuesday.

RESULTS

Mean sleep duration over 24 hours for parents of twins ranged between 6.7 and 7.5 hours during the first 3 months postpartum and did not significantly differ on weekdays or weekends for mothers. Weekend sleep was more fragmented for fathers at both one month and three months with more awakenings, compared to weekday sleep. Mothers had more fragmented night sleep compared to fathers at one month. In contrast, at three months postpartum fathers had shorter total sleep time and night sleep time, but fewer night awakenings on weekdays than mothers. No differences were observed in weekend sleep duration or sleep patterns between mothers and fathers at three months.

DISCUSSION

Consolidated sleep periods for both parents averages three hours or less during the first three months postpartum and sleep for both parents is fragmented. In families with newborn twins, the extent of sleep disruption for mothers and fathers is similar.

The Role of Sleep Curtailment on Leptin Levels in Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus

Emerging evidence has identified sleep as a significant, but modifiable, risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived peptide and a regulator of food intake and energy expenditure, has been shown to be associated with a short sleep duration in the pathophysiology of obesity and consequently type 2 diabetes. This review focuses on the current evidence indicating the effects of a short sleep duration on the regulation of leptin concentration in association with obesity and diabetes mellitus. In summary, the evidence suggests that sleep deprivation, by affecting leptin regulation, may lead to obesity and consequently development of type 2 diabetes through increased appetite and food intake. However, findings on the role of leptin in diabetes due to sleep deprivation are contradictory, and further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm previous findings.

Examining sleep deficiency and disturbance and their risk for incident dementia and all-cause mortality in older adults across 5 years in the United States

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbance and deficiency are common among older adults and have been linked with dementia and all-cause mortality. Using nationally representative data, we examine the relationship between sleep disturbance and deficiency and their risk for incident dementia and all-cause mortality among older adults.

METHODS

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a nationally-representative longitudinal study of Medicare beneficiaries in the US age 65 and older. Surveys that assessed sleep disturbance and duration were administered at baseline. We examined the relationship between sleep disturbance and deficiency and incident dementia and all-cause mortality over the following 5 years using Cox proportional hazards modeling, controlling for confounders.

RESULTS

Among the sample (n = 2,812), very short sleep duration (≤5 hours: HR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.26 - 3.33) and sleep latency (>30 minutes: HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.03 - 2.03) were associated with incident dementia in adjusted Cox models. Difficulty maintaining alertness ("Some Days": HR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13 - 1.94 and "Most/Every Day": HR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.17 - 2.32), napping ("Some days": HR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.03 - 1.85; "Most/Every Day": HR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.29 - 2.32), sleep quality ("Poor/Very Poor": HR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.17 - 2.61), and very short sleep duration (≤5 hours: HR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.44 - 3.92) were associated with all-cause mortality in adjusted Cox models.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing sleep disturbance and deficiency may have a positive impact on risk for incident dementia and all-cause mortality among older adults.

The Association Between Habitual Sleep Duration and Mortality According to Sex and Age: The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

Short and long sleep durations are associated with mortality outcomes. The association between sleep duration and mortality outcomes may differ according to sex and age.

METHODS

Participants of the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study (JPHC Study) were aged 40-69 years and had completed a detailed questionnaire on lifestyle factors. Sex- and age-stratified analyses on the association between habitual sleep duration and mortality from all-causes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancer and other causes included 46,152 men and 53,708 women without a history of CVD or cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to determine hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up time was 19.9 years for men and 21.0 years for women. In the multivariable sex-stratified models, some categories of sleep durations ≥8 hours were positively associated with mortality from all-causes, CVD, and other causes in men and women compared with 7 hours. The sex- and age-stratified analyses did not reveal any major differences in the association between sleep duration and mortality outcomes in groups younger and older than 50 years of age. The only exception was the significant interaction between sleep duration and age in women for mortality from other causes.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep durations ≥8 hours are associated with mortality outcomes in men and women. Age may be an effect modifier for the association between sleep duration and mortality from other causes in women.

Sleep Duration and Snoring at Midlife in Relation to Healthy Aging in Women 70 Years of Age or Older

PURPOSE

Both short and long sleep durations are associated with higher mortality. This study examined the association between sleep duration and overall health among those who survive to older ages.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

In the Nurses' Health Study, participants without major chronic diseases in 1986 and survived to age 70 years or older in 1995-2001 were included. Habitual sleep duration and snoring were self-reported in 1986. Healthy aging was defined as being free of 11 major chronic diseases and having no cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health limitations. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for healthy aging.

RESULTS

Of the 12,304 participants, 1354 (11.0%) achieved healthy aging. We observed a non-linear association between sleep duration and the odds of achieving healthy aging. Compared with women sleeping 7 hours per day, women with longer sleep duration were less likely to achieve healthy aging; there was also a suggestion of lower odds of healthy aging for shorter sleepers, although the associations did not reach statistical significance: the multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of healthy aging for those sleeping ≤5, 6, 8, and ≥9 hours were 0.94 (0.70, 1.27), 0.88 (0.76, 1.02), 0.83 (0.72, 0.96), and 0.60 (0.43, 0.84), respectively. Similar non-linear associations were consistently observed for individual dimensions of healthy aging. Regular snoring was associated with 31% lower odds of healthy aging (95% CI: 0.54, 0.88), which was primarily due to lower odds of having no major chronic diseases.

CONCLUSION

Both short and long sleep durations as well as regular snoring at midlife were associated with lower odds of healthy aging in later life.

Sleep duration and health in adults: an overview of systematic reviews

The objective of this overview of systematic reviews was to examine the associations between sleep duration and health outcomes in adults. Four electronic databases were searched in December 2018 for systematic reviews published in the previous 10 years. Included reviews met the a priori determined population (community-dwelling adults aged 18 years and older), intervention/exposure/comparator (various levels of sleep duration), and outcome criteria (14 outcomes examined). To avoid overlap in primary studies, we used a priority list to choose a single review per outcome; reviews that examined the effect of age and those that looked at dose–response were prioritized. A total of 36 systematic reviews were eligible and 11 were included. Reviews included comprised 4 437 101 unique participants from 30 countries. Sleep duration was assessed subjectively in 96% of studies and 78% of studies in the reviews were prospective cohort studies. The dose–response curves showed that the sleep duration that was most favourably associated with health was 7–8 h per day. Modification of the effect by age was not apparent. The quality of the evidence ranged from low to high across health outcomes. In conclusion, the available evidence suggests that a sleep duration of 7–8 h per day is the one most favourably associated with health among adults and older adults. (PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42019119529.)

Novelty This is the first overview of reviews that examines the influence of sleep duration on a wide range of health outcomes in adults. Seven to 8 h of sleep per day was most favourably associated with health. Effect modification by age was not evident.

The relationship between lifestyle and anthropometric factors with the sleep characteristics among university students in Iran: the MEPHASOUS study

Background

Healthy sleep habits have an important role in normal cognitive function, emotional performance, and well-being. The aims of this study were to describe the characteristics of sleep among university students in Iran. In addition, we assessed the relationship between lifestyle and anthropometric factors with the sleep characteristics.

Methods

This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using the data of "Mental and Physical Health Assessment of University Students in Iran" survey 2012-2013. This survey was conducted on newly admitted students in 74 public universities in 28 provinces. The participants were younger adults. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to recognize associated factors with sleep pattern and range.

Result

Of total 78,848 students who completed the survey, 54.64% (n = 43,079) were females. The average age of the students was 21.53 ± 4.08 and 21.54 ± 3.99 among males and females, respectively. More than 90% (n = 70,923), were non-smokers. Out of the total respondents, 40.56% (n = 31,756) had irregular sleep pattern. Male students were less likely to have irregular sleep pattern than female students.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated that irregular sleep pattern is associated with overweight and obesity. So, these results underscore the need to educate students on importance of healthy sleep pattern and duration on health conditions.

Independent and combined associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with common physical and mental disorders: Results from a multi-ethnic population-based study

Sleep duration and sleep quality are often linked to increased risk of mortality and morbidity. However, national representative data on both sleep duration and sleep quality and their relationship with chronic health problems are rarely available from the same source. This current study aimed to examine the independent and combined associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with physical and mental disorders, using data from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016. 6,126 residents aged ≥18years participated in this epidemiological, cross-sectional survey. Sleep measures were assessed using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index while lifetime or 12-month medical and psychiatric diagnoses were established using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. Both short sleep (<6hrs compared to 7-8hrs) and poor sleep were found to be independently associated with chronic pain, obsessive compulsive disorder and any mental disorder while poor sleep was additionally associated with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and any physical disorder, when adjusted for confounders. Poor sleep combined with short sleep (≤6hrs/day vs 7-8hrs/day) was associated with the highest number of comorbidities among other sleep combinations. Sleep duration and sleep quality, when adjusted for each other, remained independently associated with both physical and mental disorders. Affective disorders may be more closely related to poor sleep quality compared to abnormal sleep duration. Our findings suggest sleep quality to be a more important indicator for psychological and overall health compared to sleep duration.

US Trends in Prevalence of Sleep Problems and Associations with Chronic Kidney Disease and Mortality

BACKGROUND

To better understand the relation between sleep problems and CKD, we examined temporal trends in the prevalence of self-reported sleep problems in adults in the United States and their associations with CKD and all-cause mortality.

METHODS

Using data from 27,365 adult participants in five biannual National Health and Examination Surveys (2005-2006 through 2013-2014), we studied five self-reported sleep problems-trouble sleeping, sleep disorder, nocturia (urinating ≥2 times/night), inadequate sleep (<7 hours/night), and excessive sleep (>9 hours/night)-plus a composite index. We conducted three types of analysis: temporal trends in the prevalence of each sleep measure by CKD status, using model-based standardization; cross-sectional analysis of associations between four CKD measures and each sleep measure, using logistic regression; and survival analysis of the association between each sleep measure and mortality, using Cox regression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of trouble sleeping and sleep disorder increased over the five surveys by 4% and 3%, respectively, whereas the other sleep problems remained relatively stable. All sleep problems, except inadequate sleep, were more common during the study period among adults with CKD than without CKD (40% versus 21% for nocturia; 5% versus 2% for excessive sleep; 30% versus 25% for trouble sleeping; 12% versus 8% for sleep disorder). Both eGFR <30 ml/min per 1.73 m² and albuminuria were positively associated with nocturia and excessive sleep. Excessive sleep and nocturia were also associated with higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratio for >9 versus 7-9 hours/night=1.7; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.1; and for nocturia=1.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.4).

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of sleep problems among persons with CKD and their associations with mortality suggest their potential importance to clinical practice. Future work could examine the health effects of identifying and treating sleep problems in patients with CKD.

Visual impairment, low vision acuity, and the mediating effect of sleep indicators among older adults in India

Little is known about the prevalence and association between visual impairment, low vision acuity, and sleep indicators (sleep duration and sleep problem) in the Indian context. We investigate this association for Indian older adults (50+ ages). Using cross-sectional data from WHO-Study on global AGEing and adult health (WHO-SAGE) 2007–2008, a sample of 6560 ( Mage = 61.81, SD = 9.00) was selected for analysis. Self-reported visual impairment and performance-based low vision acuity were used as outcome variables, whereas sleep duration, problem in sleep, and medical condition with socio-demographic were used as covariates. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. In a fully adjusted model (including all covariates), vision impairment was associated with short sleep duration (<6 hr) and sleep problem, separately and together for both genders. Low vision was positively associated with short sleep duration and sleep problem, separately and together for males, whereas only long sleep (⩾9 hr) is associated with low vision acuity for females in fully adjusted model. Results suggest that sleep apnea including short sleep duration and sleep problem is the underestimated cause of visual impairment and vision acuity. Healthcare providers should consider sleep parameters (sleep duration and sleep problem) along with sleep apnea in the treatment of visual impaired older adults.

Does Tai Chi Chuan improve psychological well-being and quality of life in patients with breast cancer? Protocol for a systematic review of randomized controlled trials: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide. Treatment for breast cancer can be expensive, painful and can significantly affect the quality of life, leading to various side effects such as depression and anxiety, fatigue, sleep disorders, and cognitive impairment. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is the most prominent manifestation of tai chi in Chinese martial arts. TCC has been reported to be potentially effective for health and well-being of both the sick and the healthy. However, it is still controversial whether TCC benefits breast cancer patients. It is therefore of great value to evaluate the effectiveness of TCC on the psychological well-being and quality of life in people with breast cancer.

METHODS

This review will summarize and meta-analyze all relevant randomized controlled trials on TCC in patients with breast cancer in the light of their anxiety, depression and fatigue level, inflammatory cytokine as well as quality of life, sleep quality, and cognitive function. The following electronic databases will be searched: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Wan Fang Data. The methodologic quality of randomized controlled trials has been assessed using the Cochrane risk assessment tool. All trials included are analyzed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook. Review Manager 5.3, R-3.5.1 software and grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation pro-GDT online software are used for data synthesis and analysis.

RESULTS

The results of this systematic review will be used to summarize and evaluate the evidence available from randomized controlled clinical trials of TCC as supportive and adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

This review will provide a detailed summary of the evidence to assess the effectiveness of TCC for breast cancer.

OSF REGISTRATION

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/Z2FSA.

Association of sleep quality with telomere length, a marker of cellular aging: A retrospective cohort study of older adults in the United States

BACKGROUND

Sleep quality is a risk factor for age-related diseases, and although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, the effects of poor sleep quality on telomere length (TL) may play a role.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to evaluate the independent association between sleep quality and salivary TL in a large sample of older adults.

DESIGN

We adopted a retrospective cohort design, and participants comprised 5,268 adults drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. We used the 2006 (baseline) and 2008 (follow-up) waves. Baseline sleep quality was assessed using 4 Likert scale questions (trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night, waking up too early and not being able to fall sleep again, and feeling well rested in the morning). The TL was assessed using the T/S ratio, a continuous variable. The associations between sleep quality and T/S were assessed using multivariable ordinary least squares regressions. All analyses were adjusted for demographics, lifestyle characteristics, psychosocial, and other factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 16% reported never feeling well rested in the morning; 25.7% of respondents always had trouble waking during the night; and 12.8% always had trouble waking up too early in the morning. Respondents who never felt rested in the morning had significantly shorter TL than those who always felt rested in the morning (adjusted beta = -0.08, standard error = 0.03, P < .01). The composite sleep measure was not significantly associated with shorter TL.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort of older adults, not feeling well rested in the morning was significantly and inversely associated with TL; however, the composite measure of sleep quality was not significantly associated with TL. These findings suggest a potential connection between one of the measures of impaired sleep and reduction in TL, a marker of cellular aging that has been linked to multiple chronic conditions.

Generational changes in young adults' sleep duration: a prospective analysis of mother-offspring dyads

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the changes in sleep duration over two generations of young adults.

METHODS

We used data from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy cohort to compare sleep duration in mother and offspring. The analyses were restricted to 1,731 mothers who were young adults (mean age 21.96 years; SD±1.90) at the baseline measurement, and their offspring who were about the same age (mean age 20.6 years; SD±0.86) when assessed 21 years later. Maternal sleep was explored by asking the mother, during the first trimester, about her typical sleep duration prior to pregnancy, while offspring participants were asked about the sleep duration in the last month at the time assessed. Multinomial logistic regression for correlated responses was used to assess generational changes.

RESULTS

We found that offspring had 3.2 (2.7, 3.9) times the odds of sleeping for short duration (≤6 hours/night) and 1.7 (1.5, 1.9) times the odds of sleeping for a longer duration (≥9 hours/night) compared with their mothers. Gender-based analysis found that daughters had 3.0 (2.3, 5.0) times the odds of sleeping for a short duration, while sons had 3.4 (2.6, 6.4) times the odds of sleeping for a short duration compared with their mothers.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant decline in sleep duration below recommendations as well as a substantial increase in long-duration above the recommendations over two generations of young adults. Therefore, the focus of sleep health should not be limited to short sleep, but on the need for achieving optimal sleep recommended for the age.

Digital phenotyping by consumer wearables identifies sleep-associated markers of cardiovascular disease risk and biological aging

Sleep is associated with various health outcomes. Despite their growing adoption, the potential for consumer wearables to contribute sleep metrics to sleep-related biomedical research remains largely uncharacterized. Here we analyzed sleep tracking data, along with questionnaire responses and multi-modal phenotypic data generated from 482 normal volunteers. First, we compared wearable-derived and self-reported sleep metrics, particularly total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE). We then identified demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with wearable-derived TST; they included age, gender, occupation and alcohol consumption. Multi-modal phenotypic data analysis showed that wearable-derived TST and SE were associated with cardiovascular disease risk markers such as body mass index and waist circumference, whereas self-reported measures were not. Using wearable-derived TST, we showed that insufficient sleep was associated with premature telomere attrition. Our study highlights the potential for sleep metrics from consumer wearables to provide novel insights into data generated from population cohort studies.

Sleep duration and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

To determine the association between the sleep duration and the risk of all-cause mortality in adults.

METHODS

A search strategy was conducted in the MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE and LILACS databases. Searches were also conducted in other databases and unpublished literature. Cohort studies were included without language, time or setting restrictions. The risk of bias was evaluated with a modified Cochrane Collaboration's tool. An analysis of random effects was conducted. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The measure of the effect was the risk difference (RD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The planned comparisons were 7-9 h of sleep v. <7 h and the same reference v. >9 h.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine studies were included in our qualitative analysis, regarding the quantitative analysis, 19 studies were included in <7 v. 7-9 h analysis, and 18 studies in the >9 v. 7-9 h. A low risk of bias was shown for most of the study items. The overall RD for all-cause mortality was 0.09 (95% CI 0.07-0.11) favouring the >9 h group compared with our reference. In contrast, no differences were found between the <7 h and the reference sleep duration groups (RD 0.00, 95% CI 0.00-0.01).

CONCLUSION

We found a probable association of long sleep duration and higher mortality; however, it could reflect an underlying systemic or neurological disease that cause sleep fragmentation, deterioration in quality and micro-awakenings.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Telomere Length and Sleep in the Women's Health Initiative

Telomere length is a heritable marker of cellular age that is associated with morbidity and mortality. Poor sleep behaviors, which are also associated with adverse health events, may be related to leukocyte telomere length (LTL). We studied a subpopulation of 3,145 postmenopausal women (1,796 European-American (EA) and 1,349 African-American (AA)) enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative in 1993-1998 with data on Southern blot-measured LTL and self-reported usual sleep duration and sleep disturbance. LTL-sleep associations were analyzed separately for duration and disturbance using weighted and confounder-adjusted linear regression models in the entire sample (AAs + EAs; adjusted for race/ethnicity) and in racial/ethnic strata, since LTL differs by ancestry. After adjustment for covariates, each additional daily hour of sleep beyond 5 hours, approximately, was associated with a 27-base-pair (95% confidence interval (CI): 6, 48) longer LTL in the entire sample. Associations between sleep duration and LTL were strongest among AAs (adjusted β = 37, 95% CI: 4, 70); a similar, nonsignificant association was observed for EAs (adjusted β = 20, 95% CI: -7, 48). Sleep disturbance was not associated with LTL in our study. Our models did not show departure from linearity (quadratic sleep terms: P ≥ 0.55). Our results suggest that longer sleep duration is associated with longer LTL in postmenopausal women.