Sleep duration and quality of life in young rural Chinese residents

The aim of this study was to determine the mean total sleep time (TST) and the relation between sleep duration (short sleep: < 7 hr per day; medium sleep: 7-8 hr per day; and long sleep: > 8 hr per day) and quality of life (QOL) in young Chinese rural residents. A sample of 1,632 participants was recruited in Mianyang, Sichuan province and interviewed. Expected and actual TSTs were asked using standardized questions. QOL was measured with the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Schedule-Brief. In the full sample, the mean expected TST was 8.8 ± 1.3 hr, and the mean actual TST was 8.3 ± 1.4 hr. Multivariate analyses revealed that compared to medium sleepers, short sleepers had lower QOL in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains, whereas long sleepers had higher QOL in the environmental domain. Being short or long sleepers was not associated with more major medical conditions. Given the significant associations between short sleep and poor QOL, more attention should be paid to young Chinese rural residents with short sleep.