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. 2022 Sep 1;18(9):2179-2187.
doi: 10.5664/jcsm.10078.

Later sleep timing and social jetlag are related to increased inflammation in a population with a high proportion of OSA: findings from the Cleveland Family Study

Katlyn L Girtman  1 , Ana Baylin  1   2 , Louise M O'Brien  3   4   5 , Erica C Jansen  2   3
Affiliations

Later sleep timing and social jetlag are related to increased inflammation in a population with a high proportion of OSA: findings from the Cleveland Family Study

Katlyn L Girtman et al. J Clin Sleep Med. .

Abstract

Study objectives: To examine the association between sleep midpoint and inflammation in a population with a large proportion of individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a group that is already prone to increased inflammation.

Methods: Subjects from the Cleveland Family Study underwent overnight polysomnography and completed surveys on sleep habits. Morning and evening blood samples were collected and assayed for proinflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Linear regression models were used, adjusting for potential confounders and sleep duration.

Results: The study population included 587 adults (52.3% with OSAS). Mean ± standard deviation weekday sleep midpoint was 3.52 ± 2.09 (3:31 am) and weekend sleep midpoint was 4.46 ± 1.69 (4:28 am). The Mean difference between weekday and weekend sleep midpoint (social jetlag) was 0.94 ± 2.08 hours. After adjusting for OSA severity, greater social jetlag was associated with higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1 (beta: 0.435 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.091 to 0.779). Additionally, later timing of sleep during both the weekdays and the weekends was associated with increased levels of IL-6 (weekday beta: 0.182 pg/mL; 95% CI: 0.013 to 0.350; and weekend beta: 0.188 pg/mL; 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.373). No trends were observed with TNF-α and any sleep exposure.

Conclusions: Later sleep timing was associated with elevated levels of IL-6 while increased social jetlag was associated with elevated levels of IL-1. Our results indicate that later sleep schedules and increased social jetlag may lead to higher inflammation, even after controlling for OSA severity.

Citation: Girtman KL, Baylin A, O'Brien LM, Jansen EC. Later sleep timing and social jetlag are related to increased inflammation in a population with a high proportion of OSA: findings from the Cleveland Family Study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(9):2179-2187.

Keywords: cytokines; inflammation; sleep midpoint; social jetlag.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript. Work for this study was performed at the University of Michigan. The Cleveland Family Study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (HL46380, M01 RR00080-39, T32-HL07567, RO1-46380). The National Sleep Research Resource was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R24 HL114473, 75N92019R002). Dr. Jansen was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K01HL151673) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01ES032330). The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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