Sleep health is linked to overall mortality and chronic diseases like psychiatric and cardiometabolic disorders. Earlier studies have shown that both shorter (≤6 h) and longer (≥9 h) sleep durations increase the risk of poor health outcomes. These findings have led to the recommendation of 7–9 hours of sleep for most adults. However, less is known about how other sleep patterns, such as sleep regularity and stages affect chronic diseases. Most research has relied on self-reported sleep data, which is often inaccurate. While polysomnography and actigraphy provide more detailed sleep data, they are limited by short monitoring periods. The rise of commercial wearable devices now facilitate large-scale, objective studies of sleep patterns and their link to chronic diseases.
A study carried out by Zheng et al., recently published in the journal “Nature Medicine” used data from the All of Us Research Program, which gathered health data from over a million diverse individuals in the US. By analyzing the longitudinal electronic health records (EHR) data and daily sleep patterns from wearable devices, the study aimed to identify the associations between sleep patterns and the incidence of chronic diseases in the general US population.
The study reported that deeper and REM sleep were linked to lower risk for atrial fibrillation, while greater sleep irregularity increased the risk of obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, a J-shaped relationship was observed between sleep duration and the risk of hypertension, depression, and anxiety (see graphic).
(Source: Zheng NS, Annis J, Master H, Han L, Gleichauf K, Ching JH, Nasser M, Coleman P, Desine S, Ruderfer DM, Hernandez J, Schneider LD, Brittain EL. Sleep patterns and risk of chronic disease as measured by long-term monitoring with commercial wearable devices in the All of Us Research Program. Nat Med. 2024. Doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03155-8)