A large cohort study involving 3,306 Chinese adults aged 60 and older identified specific sleep duration patterns linked to successful aging outcomes. Published in BMC Public Health, the research revealed five distinct sleep trajectories and their relationships with health in aging populations.

During the study's follow-up, 13.8% of participants met the criteria for successful aging, defined by five domains: absence of major chronic diseases, maintained physical function, high cognitive performance, good mental health, and active social engagement. Participants with consistently short sleep showed a 52% reduction in the odds of successful aging compared to those with a stable, normal sleep duration. Those whose sleep duration increased over time experienced a 36% reduction in odds.

The researchers grouped participants into five sleep duration trajectories: normal stable (26.1%), long stable (26.7%), decreasing (7.3%), increasing (13.7%), and short stable (26.2%). The successful aging rates for each group were 18.1%, 17.1%, 9.9%, 10.6%, and 8.8%, respectively.

Data collection included total sleep duration, incorporating both nighttime sleep and daytime naps, as assessed in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Latent class mixed models and logistic regression were used to assess these trajectories. The results remained consistent across demographic and lifestyle subgroups, with findings holding steady through various sensitivity analyses, including exclusions for medication use and adjustments for health factors.

The researchers acknowledged study limitations, such as reliance on self-reported sleep data and the exclusively Chinese population sample, which may limit generalizability. They emphasized that, while associations were observed, causation could not be established. E-values were calculated to confirm the robustness of these associations despite potential confounding factors.

The authors disclosed no competing interests.