Sleep quality more important for quality of life than sleep duration

Czechian scientists say that sleep quality plays a greater role in influencing the quality of life (QoL) than sleep duration or timing.

Their study, published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, is among the first to observe the impact of changes in sleep quality over the long term.

It is also the first study to test how social jetlag, a mismatch of internal sleep rhythms and environmental demands, may affect QoL.

Lead authors Michaela Kudrnáčová of Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Aleš Kudrnáč, Ph.D., of the Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences concluded: 

“While when we sleep and how long we sleep is important, individuals who have better quality sleep also have a better quality of life, regardless of the time and length of sleep. In addition, by following [4,523] people for three years, we found that those whose sleep improved also had an improved quality of life.”

Previous studies have shown that sleep disruptions and low quality sleep may decrease the quality of life.

Defining quality of life

The Charles University researchers define the quality of life (QoL) as “an interplay between the perception of an internal state, such as the experience of happiness or feeling of good heath or satisfaction, and external events in the surrounding environment, which may include family and career.”

They based their analysis on the parameters of well-being, satisfaction with life, happiness, and meaning in life.

What is social jetlag?

Social jetlag is a term that describes the difference between biological time, determined by internal circadian rhythms, and social times, primarily determined by the external environment. The increasing use of artificial light and nightwork is largely responsible for this pervasive “circadian misalignment”.

Considering that the circadian clock regulates a host of physiological processes, health experts have linked social jetlag with negative health outcomes. These include poor sleep, hypertension, impaired cognitive performance, mental health conditions, and metabolic disorders.

Data on sleep quality, duration, bedtime

The Charles University team consulted data from the Czech Household Panel Study (CHPS), focusing on information collected over three years.

The survey interviewed all members of the sampled households. In each “wave” of data collection, the same members of the same households were asked to contribute.

Czech adults submitted a total of 5,132 self-administered questionnaires about sleep patterns, health, and work in 2018. Responses totaled 2,046 in 2019 and 2,161 questionnaires in 2020.

The drop in the sample between 2018 and 2019 was due to a blood draw requirement.

The experts studied the effect of sleep on the dependent QoL variables described earlier.

For instance, they measured life satisfaction according to responses to the question “All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole?” They gauged perceived happiness with responses to the question “Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are?”

Additionally, the study measured sleep duration, perceived sleep quality, and social jetlag.

Sleep duration was calculated according to the reported responses regarding sleep and wake times on workdays and free days. Perceived quality of sleep was based on answers to the question “How would you rate the quality of your sleep?”

The researchers calculated social jetlag “as the difference between the mid-sleep time on free days and workdays.”