The association between sleep duration trajectories and successful aging: a population-based cohort study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Sleep duration is linked to adverse health outcomes, but its association with successful aging trajectories in older adults is understudied.
• Understanding sleep patterns is crucial for promoting healthy aging and well-being in later life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between different sleep duration trajectories and the likelihood of achieving successful aging among older Chinese adults.
• To identify specific sleep patterns that may predict or hinder successful aging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) with 3,306 participants aged 60+.
• Employed latent class mixed modeling (LCMM) to identify distinct sleep duration trajectories (2011, 2013, 2015).
• Used logistic regression to assess the association between identified trajectories and successful aging criteria (2020).

Main Results:

• Five distinct sleep duration trajectories were identified: normal stable, long stable, decreasing, increasing, and short stable.
• Individuals in the 'increasing' and 'short stable' sleep duration trajectories had significantly lower odds of successful aging compared to the 'normal stable' group.
• The 'long stable' trajectory showed no significant difference in odds of successful aging compared to the 'normal stable' group.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic changes in sleep duration, particularly decreasing or consistently short sleep, are associated with reduced odds of successful aging in older adults.
• Monitoring sleep duration patterns is essential for identifying individuals at risk for poorer health outcomes and for developing targeted interventions.
• Findings emphasize the importance of maintaining stable, normal sleep duration for promoting healthy aging in the Chinese population.