Association between older subjective age and poor sleep quality: a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Subjective age (SA), or how old one feels, is a distinct concept from chronological age (CA).
• Sleep quality is a crucial component of overall health and well-being in adult populations.
• Previous research has explored various factors influencing sleep quality, but the specific link with subjective age perception requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between subjective age (SA) and sleep quality in a large adult cohort.
• To determine if feeling older or younger than one's chronological age impacts self-reported sleep quality.

Main Methods:

• The Korean Sleep and Headache Study included 2,349 adults (48.1 ± 16.4 years).
• Participants were categorized into feeling younger, their age, or older based on SA compared to CA.
• Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and analyzed via multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• Individuals feeling older reported significantly worse sleep quality (PSQI score 4.3 ± 2.7) compared to those feeling their age (3.4 ± 2.1) or younger (3.8 ± 2.4).
• The prevalence of poor sleep quality was highest in the feeling older group (29.0%).
• The association between SA and poorer sleep quality remained significant after adjusting for confounders, particularly in women and middle-aged to older adults (50-79 years).

Conclusions:

• Subjective age is independently associated with self-reported sleep quality, irrespective of chronological age.
• Perceived age can serve as a complementary marker for assessing subjective sleep quality.
• The findings suggest that interventions targeting age perception might influence sleep quality, especially in specific demographic groups.