Multidimensional sleep health and psychological distress: associations in a Community-Dwelling population

To investigate the association between multidimensional sleep health (MDSH) and psychological distress in Japanese community residents.

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted from December 2022 to February 2023 among residents of Kyoto City aged 40 years or older. MDSH was assessed using the RU_SATED, which evaluates six dimensions of sleep health-regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration-and generates a total score. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 6 (K6) scale and a single-item question about perceived stress. Associations between sleep health and psychological distress were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

Data from 661 respondents (57.9% female; mean age: 64.9 years; 68.4% urban residents) were analyzed. The prevalence of K6-5 distress, K6-13 distress, and perceived stress was 28.9%, 3.0%, and 20.0%, respectively. K6 scores were negatively correlated with total RU_SATED scores (rs = -0.252, p < 0.001). Each 1-point increase in the RU_SATED score was associated with a 0.325-point decrease in the K6 score. Multivariable logistic regression showed that K6-5 distress was associated with all six RU_SATED dimensions (odds ratios [OR] = 0.309-0.671), while K6-13 distress was associated with satisfaction (OR = 0.176). Perceived stress was associated with regularity, satisfaction, and duration (OR = 0.246-0.653).

Higher RU_SATED scores were negatively associated with psychological distress, with each sleep dimension showing a distinct relationship. Further research is warranted to examine these associations in more diverse populations.