Association of Sleep Duration With Serum Estradiol Concentrations Among American Men and Women: Evidence From NHANES 2013-2016

Objective: To evaluate the association between sleep duration with serum estradiol concentrations and its variation by sex and age in American adults. Methods: Data were analyzed for 5406 men and women (≥ 20 years old) who participated in the cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016, a cross-sectional study. Total estradiol (pg/mL) was measured and categorized (low, normal, and high) based on the NHANES protocol. Sleep duration was classified as ≤ 6, 6-9, and ≥ 9 h. Weighted multivariable adjusted and multinomial logistic regression models were conducted to assess these associations. Results: Our multivariable multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed no significant associations between sleep duration and serum estradiol concentrations among both American men and women. Specifically, comparisons of sleep durations (≤ 6 and ≥ 9 h) to the reference group (6-9 h) across various age categories showed odds ratios for low and high estradiol concentrations that remained statistically nonsignificant in fully adjusted models. These findings suggest that, unlike previous studies linking sleep duration with variations in other hormones, estradiol concentrations do not appear to be significantly affected by differences in sleep duration in either sex across all age groups studied. Conclusion: The lack of significant associations between sleep duration and serum estradiol concentrations indicates that sleep duration may not influence estradiol levels in the general population of American men and women. These results underscore the importance of continued research into how sleep influences hormonal balance. However, it is important to note that the NHANES data we used are from a cross-sectional study, which cannot establish a causal relationship between sleep duration and serum estradiol. Future studies should investigate additional factors, such as genetic predispositions, lifestyle habits, and environmental influences, that may modulate the relationship between sleep and hormone levels.