Daily Sleep Hours Research Articles

Association between sleep duration and cognitive impairment in older people

Background Sleep duration may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment. Aim To investigate the association between sleep duration and cognitive function in Chilean older adults. Material and Methods We analyzed information from 1,384 participants aged > 60 years participating in the National Health Survey 2009-2010 who were assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and self-reported their average daily sleep hours. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between MMSE and sleep duration. Results Compared to those participants who reported sleeping 7 hours per day, those that reported sleeping < 5 hours had a higher odd for cognitive impairment (Odds ratio (OR): 3.66 [95% confidence intervals (CI: 1.69; 7.95], p < 0.01). Similarly, those who reported sleeping > 8 hours per day also showed a higher odd for cognitive impairment (OR: 2.56 [95% CI: 1.32; 4.95], p < 0.01). This association was even stronger for people who reported more than 10 hours of sleep per day (OR: 4.46 [95% CI: 1.32; 4.95], p < 0.01). Conclusions Long and short sleep duration is associated with cognitive impairment in older adults in Chile independent of major confounding factors.

The Association between Air Pollution and Sleep Duration: A Cohort Study of Freshmen at a University in Beijing, China.

Background: Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing, China have become a serious environmental issue affecting human health, and young adults are experiencing high rates of insufficient sleep duration or a lack of sleep. Gaps in previous research remain regarding the relationship between air pollution and sleep duration among young adults. The purpose of this study is to assess the associations between air pollution and sleep duration among college students living in Beijing, China. Methods: We conducted follow-up health surveys on 16,889 freshman students enrolled at Tsinghua University over a five-year study period (2013–2018). Sleep duration was measured using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI), which has been validated in China to measure sleep duration. Corresponding levels of the average hourly air quality index (AQI), PM2.5 (µg/m3), PM10 (µg/m3), and NO2 (µg/m3) were gathered from data provided by the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau in a closed site at Tsinghua University. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: One standard deviation increase in air pollution concentration in AQI, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 was associated with a reduction in daily hours of sleep by 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63, 0.73), 0.55 (95% CI = 0.51, 0.59), 0.70 (95% CI = 0.64, 0.76), and 0.51 (95% CI = 0.47, 0.54), respectively. Conclusions: Air pollution was associated with a reduction in sleep duration among freshman students living in Beijing, China. Replication of this study is warranted among various populations within China.

Sleep duration is associated with depressive symptoms among expatriate nurses

BackgroundThere is limited data on sleep and its impact on mental health among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the association between sleep duration and symptoms of depression among expatriate nurses. MethodsNurses in government healthcare facilities in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia responded to an electronic survey (n = 977) on demography, lifestyle, job features, and symptoms of depression (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21). Binary and multinomial logistic regression, respectively, assessed the adjusted associations of daily sleep hours (≤5, 6–7, ≥8) with having any (no, yes) or degree of symptoms (no, mild to moderate, and severe to extremely severe). ResultsThere was a dose–response relationship between sleep hours and depressive symptoms (any as well as degree) (p-values for trend <0.05). For nurses who slept 6–7 h, the odds ratio (OR) of having any symptoms of depression was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.2 – 2.2), ‘mild to moderate’ symptoms 1.5 (95% CI: 1.1 – 2.2), and ‘severe to extremely severe’ symptoms 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1 – 3.4). For nurses who slept ≤5 h, the OR of having any symptoms was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.4–3.3), ‘mild to moderate’ symptoms 1.7 (95% CI: 1.0–2.6), and ‘severe to extremely severe’ symptoms 4.2 (95% CI: 2.2–8.1) (reference group ≥ 8 h). LimitationsThe sleep data pertained to duration only and not to sleep quality. ConclusionThere was a strong association between sleep duration and symptoms of depression among expatriate nurses.

Quality of Sleep in a Pediatric Hospital: A Descriptive Study Based on an Assessment of Interruptions, Perceptions, and the Environment.

To investigate the amount and type of hospitalized children's nighttime sleep interruptions, perceptions, and efficiency. Sleep in hospitals is notoriously poor and impedes healing. Pediatric studies have been limited including breadth of diagnoses, age, or measures. Actigraphy, sleep surveys, and nursing diaries were used to describe sleep on 2 nursing units along with environmental assessments. Ninety-five children from 1 month to 17 years with multiple diagnoses participated. The median number of awakenings was 2.7 per night. The median for the longest uninterrupted episode of sleep was 5.5 hours. Children need 8 to 17 hours of daily sleep, while this sample had a median of 7.5 hours of night sleep. Sensors showed talk as the predominant noise, whereas surveys showed alarms and vital signs awakened patients. Children are not getting essential, minimally interrupted sleep in hospitals. Disseminating results will increase awareness and accelerate environmental changes.

Sleep pattern, sleep problems and comorbidities among resident doctors at a tertiary care institution in India: a cross sectional study

Background: Sleep problems are a major concern in population working under stress such as resident doctors. Sleep has many health benefits; sleep problems are linked with short and long term adverse health outcomes. Aim was to study sleep pattern, problems and comorbidities among resident doctors. Methods: A cross-sectional study design with a pre-validated sleep assessment proforma was used to collect information on socio-demographics, sleep pattern, sleep problems and comorbidities from 428 resident doctors found eligible for the study. Results: 350 subjects returned the filled proforma (82% response rate). Mean daily sleep hours were 6.21 (SD, 1.39) and work hours 12.77 (SD, 3.63). Sleep time was night in 64.6%, day in 12%, and both in 23.4%. Monthly average of 5.8 night shifts and 2.03 duty offs were found. Visual analogue scale (0-10) mean scores for sleepiness and tiredness were 4.41 (SD, 2.55; 95% CI, 4.14-4.68; P&lt;0.01) and 4.73 (SD, 2.62; 95% CI, 4.45-5.00; P&lt;0.01) respectively. Presence of different symptoms related to sleep problems ranged from 7 to 26% and various problems interfering with sleep ranged from 10 to 25%. Comorbidities such as allergy (29.4%), jerky legs (24.3%), sinus infections (22.8%), restless leg syndrome (16.3%), snoring (8.3%), asthma/lung diseases (5.8%), chronic diseases (3.4%), severe snoring disturbing others (1.8%), and obstructive sleep apnoea (0.9%) were present. Conclusions: Sleep problems were highly prevalent among resident doctors. The resident doctors were sleep-deprived, overworked, tired, excessively sleepy, and had significant presence of factors affecting circadian rhythm and sleep fragmentation. Various comorbidities were also present with varying prevalence.

The Impact of Daily Sleep Hours on the Health of Korean Middle-Aged Women.

This study aimed to examine the association between sleep and health in order to provide useful information to manage the health of obese women in the future. One hundred fifty-five Korean women aged 40-60years without a previous diagnosis of abnormal glucose metabolism or other health problems and with body fat percentages greater than 30 percent were classified into two groups: a non-obese group and an obese group. Sleep hours exhibited a significant positive correlation with weight, body mass index, muscle mass, and glucose levels in the obese group. Significant differences were found for the body composition except the muscle mass. For physical fitness, all factors were significantly different between two groups. Additionally, there were correlations between sleep hours and weight, body mass index, muscle mass, and glucose level in the obese group. However, sleep hours did not exhibit these correlations in the non-obese group.

Short Sleep Duration and Screen-Based Activities

Objective. The aim of this study was to identify lifestyle habits that contribute to night sleep reduction in the Kuwaiti population. Methods. Children were 10 to 12 years old and were approximately equally distributed among 138 elementary schools representing the 6 governorates of Kuwait. In the first phase of the study, data were collected from 8317 children. The same data were collected 2 years later from 6316 of the children from the first phase of the study. Calibrated examiners conducted sleep evaluation, lifestyle habits interviews, and body weight measurements. A multilevel random intercept and slope model was conducted to determine the effect of screen-based activities on the daily night sleep hours at 3 levels: within schools, among children, and over time. The primary dependent variable was the number of daily sleep hours. Independent variables assessed were lifestyle habits including screen-based activity variables including TV and video game use. Results. Screen-based activities were significant factors that reduced daily sleep hours (P < .05). There were statistically significant variations between schools and children over time. Conclusion. Longitudinal analysis of Kuwaiti children revealed that TV and video game use were major risk behaviors contributing to decreased sleep duration with strong clustering effect of the observations within schools across time.

Daily Sleep Predicting Marital Interactions as Mediated Through Mood.

Sleep problems increase in later life. Studies have linked sleep with marital satisfaction, yet mechanisms, such as mood, have not been explored. The current study is innovative in examining sleep and marital interactions among older couples in a daily context, exploring mood as a potential mediator. Data were taken from the Life and Family Legacies Daily Experiences Study, involving 191 older couples surveyed across 14 days. Multivariate (dyadic) multilevel models were used to address our research questions. Findings indicated significant associations between daily sleep hours, sleep quality, and feeling rested with daily marital interactions. These associations were most consistent for wives. Mediation analyses indicated that positive mood was a common mechanism linking sleep with marital interactions. Also, in some cases, spouse sleep and mood reports were associated with partner marital interactions. Improving sleep quality among older couples could lead to better daily marital interactions through changes in mood.

Effect of Sleep and Salivary Glucose on Gingivitis in Children

It has been shown that inadequate sleep has deleterious effects on health by suppressing immunity and promoting inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sleep and salivary glucose levels on the development of gingivitis in a prospective longitudinal study of Kuwaiti children. Data were collected from 10-y-old children (N = 6,316) in 2012 and again in 2014. Children were approximately equally distributed from 138 elementary schools representing the 6 governorates of Kuwait. Calibrated examiners conducted oral examination, self-reported sleep evaluation interviews, anthropomorphic measurements, and unstimulated whole saliva sample collection. Salivary glucose levels were measured by a florescent glucose oxidase method; values of salivary glucose ≥1.13 mg/dL were defined as high glucose levels. A multilevel random intercept and slope analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between sleep duration and gingivitis on 3 levels: within schools, among children, and over time. The outcome was the progression of the extent of gingival inflammation in children over time. The main independent variables were the number of daily sleep hours and salivary glucose levels. Other explanatory variables and confounders assessed were governorate, dental caries and restorations, and obesity by waist circumference (adjusted for snacking and sex). Gingivitis increased over time in children who had shorter sleep duration (P < 0.05). Salivary glucose levels >1.13 mg/dL predicted gingivitis (P < 0.05). Children who had more decayed or filled teeth had more gingivitis (P < 0.05). No significant association was found between gingivitis and obesity. The level of gingivitis was different among the 6 governorates of Kuwait. Additionally, there was a strong clustering effect of the observations within schools and among children across time. Longitudinal analysis of 6,316 Kuwaiti children revealed that shorter sleep duration and higher salivary glucose levels were both associated with increased gingival inflammation.

Alterações nutricionais e metabólicas em diabéticos: desafios ao hiperdia de uma estratégia de saúde da família

Objective: To assess the anthropometric profile, health conditions and lifestyle of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) enrolled in the HiperDia program (Programa HiperDia) of the Family Health Strategy (Estrategia de Saude da Familia – ESF) of Sinop, Mato Grosso. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in an ESF located in the center of Sinop, Mato Grosso, from June to October 2013, with patients with diabetes of both genders and age ≥ 18 years. Weight, height, pressoric levels, body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference (WC), fasting glucose, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and lifestyle habits were assessed. Results: Participants (n=54) had a mean age of 64.2 ± 10.2 years and BMI of 29.0 ± 5.4 kg/m2, and were mostly women (n=34). Nutritional and metabolic changes were found among participants: excessive weight (77.8%), high BF% (92.0%), high WC suggesting risk for complications associated with obesity (85.5%), hypertension (87.0%) and sedentary lifestyle (66.7%). Glucose was altered in both genders (p>0.05) and 16.7% of the individuals with diabetes were undiagnosed. Of the participants, 5.6% were smokers, 29.6% consumed alcohol, the mean meal fractioning was 4.2 ± 0.9 times/day and the daily sleep hours were 7.7 ± 1.3. Conclusion: Most individuals with diabetes presented excessive weight, high BF% and WC and hyperglycemia. These results, associated with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, low meal fractioning and unawareness of the diagnosis may contribute to the occurrence of severe complications.

Sleep duration and risk of myocardial infarction and all-cause death in a Chinese population: the Kailuan study

ObjectiveAlthough sleep is one of the most important health-related factors, the association of sleep duration with incidence of myocardial infarction or all-cause death has not been fully understood, especially in the general Chinese population. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep duration and risk of myocardial infarction and all-cause death in China. MethodsOut of the 101,510 participants who were originally included into the Kailuan prospective cohort study and followed up for an average of 3.98 years, 95,903 participants were actually sampled to evaluate the impacts of sleep duration on myocardial infarction and all-cause death. Sleep duration was categorized as ≤5, 6, 7, and 8 hours/night, and ≥9 hours per night. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the association of sleep duration with the incidence of myocardial infarction and all-cause death. ResultsAfter a mean follow-up period of 3.98 years, 423 participants developed myocardial infarction and 1793 participants died. A U-shape association between sleep duration and all-cause death was found. The age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval [CI]) of all-cause death (with seven hours of daily sleep being considered for the reference group) for individuals reporting ≤5, 6, and 8 hours, and ≥9 hours were 1.29 (1.08–1.55), 0.97 (0.82–1.14), 1.11 (0.97–1.27), and 1.77 (1.31–2.38), respectively, with a p ≤ 0.01. However, no significant association was seen between sleep duration and myocardial infarction. ConclusionBoth short and long duration of sleep might be potential predictors/markers for all-cause death, but not for myocardial infarction.

The Effect of Ship Department on Crew Sleep Patterns and Psychomotor Vigilance Performance

U.S. Navy ship crews are organizationally divided into departments, i.e., functional groups with specific tasks and an officer in charge. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of ship departments on crew sleep patterns and psychomotor vigilance performance. Crewmembers (N=93) from an Arleigh Burke-type destroyer participated in a 16-day quasi-experimental study while the ship was forward deployed. Each sailor wore an actigraph, completed a daily activity log, and performed a 3-minute psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) before and after standing watch. Actigraphy results show that crewmembers were chronically sleep deprived, receiving on average 6.6 hours of daily sleep. Rest and sleep opportunities were varied significantly depending on the department to which the crewmember belongs. Specifically, the Operations department, followed by Engineering, had the worst sleep patterns as indicated by reduced and fragmented sleep. Using actigraphic recordings, approximately 22% of the participants occasionally napped during their night watch. Although not statistically significant due to its large variability, the pattern of PVT results agrees with the sleep analysis. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that the department to which a crewmember belongs is a factor to be taken into account when assessing performance at sea. In our sample, results demonstrate that the two departments most affected are the Operations and the Engineering. Both of these departments have critical duties while underway, yet they experience the most sleep deprivation. Future efforts should strive to further quantify this phenomenon and to address methods to ameliorate the problem.

Sleepless in Macao: Factors Associated with Sleep Behaviour and Sleep Duration among Children in Public and Private Schools

To evaluate the associations of socioeconomic class (middle and lower) with sleep behaviour, two public and two private primary schools were randomly selected in three district areas (out of seven) in Macao, China. The sleep be- haviour of these children (primary grades one to six) was examined with a validated, locally developed questionnaire. In all, 756(83.3%) of the 908 questionnaires were completed and returned, 330(43.7%) for girls and 426(56.3%) for boys. Only 142(19.9%) children reached the recommended standard of 10 hours of daily sleep on weekdays that were not during an exam period. Thus, 571(80.1%) did not get the required sleep (x 2 = 9.748; degrees of freedom (df) = 1; P = 0.002). The situation was even worse in exam periods during weekdays, with 626 (87.6%; x 2 = 19.406; df = 1; P = 0.000) children not obtaining 10 hours of sleep during that time. These results show that improper sleep behaviour in Macao children is associ- ated with stressed school workload, bedtime difficulty, and environmental factors. Early intervention on these factors might help the children to establish adequate sleep habits.

Prevalence of short sleep duration and its association with obesity among adolescents 15- to 19-year olds: A cross-sectional study from three major cities in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND:Adequate sleep has been considered important for the adolescent's health and well being. On the other hand, self-imposed sleep curtailment is now recognized as a potentially important and novel risk factor for obesity. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of short sleep duration and its association with obesity among Saudi adolescents.METHODS:This is a school-based cross-sectional study with self-reported sleep questionnaires. It was conducted during the years 2009/2010 in three cities in Saudi Arabia; Al-Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Participants were 2868 secondary-school males (1379) and females (1389) aged 15 to 19 years, randomly selected using a multistage stratified sampling technique. Measurements included weight, height, waist circumference, BMI, and sleeping duration. Logistic regression analysis while adjusted for age, gender, and location was used to examine the associations between sleep duration and obesity measures.RESULTS:The mean (SD) of sleep duration was 7.2 (1.6) hours/day with no significant differences between males and females. About 31% of the participants obtain less than 7 hours of sleep per day, while approximately 50% of the sample gets less than 8 hours of daily sleep. Two-way ANCOVA results while controlling for the effect of age revealed a significant gender by school-type interaction (P<0.001). In addition, adequate sleep duration increased the odds of having normal weight (adjusted odds ratios = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.08-1.50, P = 0.003).CONCLUSION:The present study observed a high prevalence of short sleep duration among Saudi adolescents 15- to 19-year olds and that short sleep duration was significantly associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity. Future interventions should investigate whether adopting a healthy lifestyle by adolescents with short sleep duration would improve their sleeping habits or not.

Screen viewing, body mass index, cigarette smoking and sleep duration in Belgrade University student population: results of an observational, cross-sectional study

Subjects that spend more time working on computers or watching television could have a higher body mass index.To assess the relationship between time spent in front of a screen and studying, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and sleep duration among university students.A cross-sectional study of 734 randomly selected students aged 21 ± 2 years (450 females) that responded an anonymous, structured questionnaire about time spent watching television or in front of a computer, time spent studying, number of daily hours of sleep, smoking habits and number of daily meals. Body mass index was also calculated for all subjectsAmong males, the number of daily sleep hours, time spent working with computers and number of daily meals were significantly higher and time spent studying was significantly lower than females. Nonsmokers ate a significantly higher number of meals and spent less time watching television. No association was observed between time spent in front of a screen and number of sleep hours of body mass index.Men and smokers spend more time working in computers. There is no association between body mass index and time spent in front of screens.

Screen viewing, body mass index, cigarette smoking and sleep duration in Belgrade University student population: results of an observational, cross-sectional study.

Subjects that spend more time working on computers or watching television could have a higher body mass index. To assess the relationship between time spent in front of a screen and studying, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and sleep duration among university students. A cross-sectional study of 734 randomly selected students aged 21 ± 2 years (450 females) that responded an anonymous, structured questionnaire about time spent watching television or in front of a computer, time spent studying, number of daily hours of sleep, smoking habits and number of daily meals. Body mass index was also calculated for all subjects Among males, the number of daily sleep hours, time spent working with computers and number of daily meals were significantly higher and time spent studying was significantly lower than females. Nonsmokers ate a significantly higher number of meals and spent less time watching television. No association was observed between time spent in front of a screen and number of sleep hours of body mass index. Men and smokers spend more time working in computers. There is no association between body mass index and time spent in front of screens.

Infant Growth in Length Follows Prolonged Sleep and Increased Naps

The mechanisms underlying infant sleep irregularity are unknown. This study tests the hypothesis that sleep and episodic (saltatory) growth in infant length are temporally coupled processes. Daily parental diaries continuously recorded sleep onset and awakening for 23 infants (14 females) over 4-17 months (n = 5798 daily records). Multiple model-independent methods compared day-to-day sleep patterns and saltatory length growth. Approximate entropy (ApEn) quantified temporal irregularity in infant sleep patterns; breastfeeding and infant sex explained 44% of inter-individual variance (P = 0.001). Random effects mixed-model regression identified that saltatory length growth was associated with increased total daily sleep hours (P < 0.001) and number of sleep bouts (P = 0.001), with breastfeeding, infant sex, and age as covariates. Infant size and illness onset were non-contributory. CLUSTER analysis identified peaks in individual sleep of 4.5 more h and/or 3 more naps per day, compared to intervening intervals, that were non-randomly concordant with saltatory length growth for all individuals (P < 0.05), with a time lag of 0-4 days. Subject-specific probabilities of a growth saltation associated with sleep included a median odds ratio of 1.20 for each additional hour (n = 8, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.29) and 1.43 for each additional sleep bout (n = 12, 95% CI 1.21-2.03). Increased sleep bout duration predicted weight (P < 0.001) and abdominal skinfold accrual (P = 0.05) contingent on length growth, and truncal adiposity independent of growth (P < 0.001). Sleeping and length growth are temporally related biological processes, suggesting an integrated anabolic system. Infant behavioral state changes may reflect biological mechanisms underlying the timing and control of human growth.

Effects of long work hours and poor sleep characteristics on workplace injury among full-time male employees of small- and medium-scale businesses

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long work hours and poor sleep characteristics on workplace injury. A total of 1891 male employees, aged 18-79 years (mean 45 years), in 296 small- and medium-scale businesses in a suburb of Tokyo were surveyed by means of a self-administered questionnaire during August-December 2002. Work hours and sleep characteristics, including daily sleep hours, subjective sleep sufficiency, sleep quality and easiness to wake up in the morning, were evaluated. Information on workplace injury in the past 1-year period was self-reported. The risk of workplace injury associated with work hours and poor sleep was estimated using multivariate logistic regression with odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals as measures of associations. Compared with those working 6-8 h day(-1) with good sleep characteristics, positive interactive effects for workplace injury were found between long work hours (>8-10 h day(-1) or >10 h day(-1) ) and short sleep duration (<6 h) [adjusted OR (aOR), 1.27-1.54], subjective insufficient sleep (aOR, 1.94-1.99), sleep poorly at night (aOR, 2.23-2.49) and difficulty waking up in the morning (aOR, 1.56-1.59). Long work hours (aOR, 1.31-1.48), subjective insufficient sleep (aOR, 1.49) and sleeping poorly at night (aOR, 1.72) were also independently associated with workplace injury. This study suggests that long work hours coupled with poor sleep characteristics are synergistically associated with increased risk of workplace injury. Greater attention should be paid to manage/treat poor sleep and reduce excessive work hours to improve safety at the workplace.

Association of Maternal Short Sleep Duration With Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Status at 3 Years Postpartum

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of short sleep duration among women in the first year postpartum with adiposity and cardiometabolic status at 3 years postpartum. We studied 586 women in Project Viva, a prospective cohort. At 6 months and 1 year postpartum, women reported the number of hours they slept in a 24-h period, from which we calculated a weighted average of daily sleep. We used multivariable regression analyses to predict the independent effects of short sleep duration (≤5h/day vs. >5h/day) on adiposity, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and adipokines at 3 years postpartum. Women's mean (s.d.) hours of daily sleep in the first year postpartum was 6.7 (0.97) h. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, parity, prepregnancy BMI, and excessive gestational weight gain, we found that postpartum sleep ≤5h/day was associated with higher postpartum weight retention (β 1.50kg; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02, 2.86), higher subscapular + triceps skinfold thickness (β 3.94mm; 95% CI: 1.27, 6.60) and higher waist circumference (β 3.10cm; 95% CI: 1.25, 4.94) at 3 years postpartum. We did not observe associations of short sleep duration with measures of cardiometabolic status at 3 years postpartum. In conclusion, short sleep duration in the first year postpartum is associated with higher adiposity at 3 years postpartum.

Maternal short sleep duration is associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers at 3 years postpartum

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of short sleep duration among women in the first year postpartum with inflammation at 3 years postpartum. We studied 479 women in Project Viva, a prospective cohort. At 6 months and 1 year postpartum, women reported the number of hours they slept in a 24-hour period, from which we calculated a weighted average of daily sleep. We used multivariable median regression analyses to predict the independent effects of short sleep duration (≤5 vs >5 h/d) on markers of inflammation, for example, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein at 3 years postpartum. Women's mean (SD) hours of daily sleep in the first year postpartum was 6.7 (0.96) hours. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, excessive gestational weight gain, and gestational age at delivery, we found that postpartum sleep ≤5 h/d was associated with elevated IL-6 ( β, 0.25 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.43) compared with >5 h/d. Although postpartum sleep ≤5 h/d appeared to also be associated with elevated C-reactive protein ( β 0.15 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval, −0.08 to 0.52), these results did not reach statistical significance. Short sleep duration in the first year postpartum is associated with elevated levels of the proinflammatory marker, IL-6, at 3 years postpartum.