Meeting Sleep Guidelines Is Associated With Better Health-Related Quality of Life and Reduced Premature All-Cause Mortality Risk

Abstract

Purpose:

To examine whether meeting sleep guidelines (7-9 hours/night) is associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reduced all-cause mortality risk.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

2005 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Participants:

A total of 13 423 adults.

Measures:

Sleep duration and HRQOL were assessed from self-report; covariates assessed via survey, examination, and laboratory data; and mortality assessed through 2011 via matching from the National Death Index.

Analysis:

Cox proportional hazard regression and ordinal logistic regression.

Results:

After adjusting for age, gender, race–ethnicity, body mass index, education, smoking, white blood cell level, iron level, red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, physical activity, and depression, those meeting sleep guidelines had an 19% reduced risk of premature all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.99; P = .04). After adjustments, those meeting sleep guidelines had better HRQOL (β = −0.30; 95% CI: −0.38 to −0.21; P < .001). Results for the ordinal regression and Cox proportional analyses were similar in unadjusted and minimally adjusted models.

Conclusion:

Obtaining optimal levels of sleep is associated with better HRQOL and reduced premature mortality risk, independent of demographic, behavioral, and biological conditions. These findings underscore the importance of achieving optimal levels of sleep.