The association between objective measurements of sleep quality and postural control in adults: A systematic review

We systematically reviewed the association between objective sleep quality and postural control based on objective measurements. We searched the electronic databases PUBMED, CINAHL, SCOPUS and Web of Science for studies assessing the relationship between objective measurements of sleep and postural control or gait performance among adults above age 18. All types of articles until April 2020 were considered. The search yielded 2967 articles, and out of these, inclusion criteria were met by five cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies (N = 7). Three studies found a positive correlation between sleep efficiency and gait speed, three studies found a negative correlation between wake time after sleep onset (WASO) and gait speed or postural control, and one study found no association between sleep parameters and gait speed. Objectively measured sleep quality parameters such as sleep efficiency and WASO were associated with objective measures of posture and gait. More studies with longitudinal designs are needed to expose causal pathways and mechanisms underlying these relationships.