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Sleep and allostatic load: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Dinne S Christensen1, Robert Zachariae1, Ali Amidi2
1Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Sleep Medicine Reviews
|June 15, 2022
Summary
Sleep disturbances are linked to higher allostatic load, a measure of bodily wear and tear. Long sleep duration also showed this association, but short sleep did not, highlighting complex sleep-health relationships.
Area of Science:
- Sleep science
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Public health
Background:
- Sleep disturbances negatively impact health and well-being.
- The allostatic load model provides a framework for understanding these adverse effects.
- Existing research highlights the need for further investigation into sleep's role in allostatic load.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between sleep disturbance and sleep duration with allostatic load.
- To synthesize current evidence on how sleep impacts physiological stress responses.
- To identify potential moderators, such as sex, in the sleep-allostatic load relationship.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science (1993–2022).
- Inclusion of 18 studies (26,924 participants) after screening 395 titles/abstracts and 51 full texts.
- Meta-analysis using effect size correlations (ESr) to quantify associations.
Main Results:
- Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with higher allostatic load (ESr = 0.09, p < 0.001).
- Long sleep duration was also linked to higher allostatic load (ESr = 0.12, p = 0.003).
- No significant association was found for short sleep or overall sleep duration; heterogeneity was noted.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disturbance and long sleep duration are associated with increased allostatic load.
- The relationship between sleep and allostatic load may be influenced by factors like sex.
- Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify mechanisms and directionality.
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