Comparison and prediction of sleep quality in users of bed or hammock as sleeping device

Abstract

ObjectivesTo compare and predict sleep quality between bed and hammock users . DesignCross-sectional pilot study. SettingHabitual hammock and bed users of southern Mexico. ParticipantsSixty-eight college students (53% female, mean age 21 ± 1.6 years); 33 usually sleep in bed and 35 in hammock. InterventionNot applicable. MeasurementsObjective sleep measures were obtained using an actigraphy device on 7 consecutive days. Questionnaires about sleep habits and sleepiness (Epworth scale) were completed. Body mass index (BMI) was obtained with a weighing machine and altimeter. ResultsSubjective sleep measures between habitual hammock and bed users were not significant (P > .05). Differences were found on 2 objective sleep measures: (1) activity index, on which hammock users obtained 7.62 minutes more than bed users (M = 36.72, standard deviation [SD] = 10.86 vs. M = 44.34, SD = 13.08, P = .018) and (2) mean sleep episodes, on which hammock users had 19.67 minutes less than bed users (M = 71.52, SD = 34.37 vs. M = 51.85, SD = 24.29, P = .014). Hammock users had a higher BMI than bed users (M = 23.38, SD = 3.45 vs. M = 26.20, SD = 4.86, P = .010). Sex and BMI were included in the predictive model of linear regression (P < .05) of the sleep actigraphy parameters, the sleeping device was excluded of final model. ConclusionsHammock users show increased BMI, higher activity index and shorter mean sleep episodes than bed users. However, sex and BMI were stronger predictors of actigraphy parameters than bed type.