Sleep and Mental Health Among Employed Adults in Beijing, China

Beijing has undergone profound economic growth and ecological change this century. Given the roles of sleep and mental health in worker performance, the objective of this analysis was to characterize sleep and mental health among adult residents of Beijing. During September 29, 2022, through October 5, 2022, cross-sectional surveys available in English and Mandarin were administered to 2000 adults with residence in Beijing. Among 1741 adults in the final analytic sample, descriptive statistics and multivariable regression models were used to characterize sleep, mental health, and their relationship. Of 1730 respondents (response rate: 65.4%), 55.9% averaged 7-9 h of sleep duration per 24 h, and 42.1% had symptoms of insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Of respondents diagnosed with insomnia or OSA, 85.2% were untreated. Additionally, 42.5% of respondents were experiencing adverse mental health symptoms. In models adjusted for demographics and sleep characteristics, the variables most strongly associated with adverse mental health symptoms were poor self-rated health, frequent sleep medication use, low sleep quality, and short sleep duration. Insufficient or impaired sleep, risk of sleep disorders, and adverse mental health symptoms were common among employed adults in Beijing. These findings reveal a significant unmet need to address sleep health and mental health in this population.