The association of continuous-use medications and sleep parameters in a sample of working adults

Although polypharmacy is linked to health outcomes in the elderly, the use of multiple medications is increasing in middle-aged adults. This study analyzed whether or not the increased number of continuous-use medications (C-UM) is associated with objective and subjective sleep parameters in a working population.

Cross-sectional study with schoolteachers from public schools in Londrina, Brazil. The participants were classified according to the self-reported number of C-UM. Sleep data were obtained with actigraphy and a concomitant sleep diary for 7 days. The analyses were adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle, and morbidity variables.

A total of 17% of the participants were classified as using ≥3C-UM. In fully adjusted analyses, the use of ≥3C-UM was associated with lower actigraphic sleep duration (<6 h) (odds ratio [OR] = 2.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01,6.21), higher actigraphic sleep onset latency (SOL) (OR = 2.65; 95%CI = 1.00,7.02), and with a higher number of awakenings during sleep measured by actigraphy (OR = 3.30; 95%CI = 1.32,8.28). The use of ≥3 C-UM was also associated with higher SOL (OR = 3.76; 95%CI = 1.36,10.5) and lower sleep efficiency (OR = 11.6; 95%CI = 2.92,46.1), as measured with the sleep diary. A 1-unit increment in the number of continuous-use medications was associated with higher self-reported SOL and lower subjective sleep efficiency.

The continuous use of ≥3 medications is associated with worse objective and subjective parameters of sleep duration and quality in schoolteachers.