Original Article
International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1825–1834; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.198; published online 21 October 2008
The association between sleep duration and obesity in older adults
S R Patel1, T Blackwell2, S Redline1, S Ancoli-Israel3, J A Cauley4, T A Hillier5, C E Lewis6, E S Orwoll7, M L Stefanick2, B C Taylor8, K Yaffe9 and K L Stone2 for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men and the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Groups
- 1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine and Center for Clinical Investigation, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- 2California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
- 3Department of Psychiatry, University of California and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- 4Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- 5Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest/Hawaii, Portland, OR, USA
- 6Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA
- 7Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
- 8Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Division of Epidemiology and Chronic Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- 9Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
Correspondence: Dr SR Patel, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 11400 Euclid Avenue, Room 290-D, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. E-mail: srp20@case.edu
Received 5 August 2008; Revised 2 September 2008; Accepted 21 September 2008; Published online 21 October 2008.
Abstract
Background:
Reduced sleep has been reported to predict obesity in children and young adults. However, studies based on self-report have been unable to identify an association in older populations. In this study, the cross-sectional associations between sleep duration measured objectively and measures of weight and body composition were assessed in two cohorts of older adults.
Methods:
Wrist actigraphy was performed for a mean (s.d.) of 5.2 (0.9) nights in 3055 men (age: 67–96 years) participating in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) and 4.1 (0.8) nights in 3052 women (age: 70–99 years) participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). A subgroup of 2862 men and 455 women also underwent polysomnography to measure sleep apnea severity.
Results:
Compared to those sleeping an average of 7–8 h per night, and after adjusting for multiple risk factors and medical conditions, a sleep duration of less than 5 h was associated with a body mass index (BMI) that was on average 2.5 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0–2.9) greater in men and 1.8 kg/m2 (95% CI: 1.1–2.4) greater in women. The odds of obesity (BMI 
30 kg/m2) was 3.7-fold greater (95% CI: 2.7–5.0) in men and 2.3-fold greater in women (95% CI: 1.6–3.1) who slept less than 5 h. Short sleep was also associated with central body fat distribution and increased percent body fat. These associations persisted after adjusting for sleep apnea, insomnia and daytime sleepiness.
Conclusions:
In older men and women, actigraphy-ascertained reduced sleep durations are strongly associated with greater adiposity.
Keywords:
sleep duration, sleep deprivation, central obesity, geriatrics, insomnia, sleepiness
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