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. 2023 May;94(5):331-336.
doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330123. Epub 2023 Jan 23.

Insufficient sleep during adolescence and risk of multiple sclerosis: results from a Swedish case-control study

Torbjörn Åkerstedt  1   2 , Tomas Olsson  2   3 , Lars Alfredsson  2   4   5 , Anna Karin Hedström  6   3
Affiliations

Insufficient sleep during adolescence and risk of multiple sclerosis: results from a Swedish case-control study

Torbjörn Åkerstedt et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 May.

Abstract

Background: Shift work, which often results in sleep deprivation and circadian desynchrony, has been associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed at studying the impact of sleep duration, circadian disruption and sleep quality on MS risk.

Methods: We used a Swedish population-based case-control study (2075 cases, 3164 controls). Aspects of sleep were associated with MS risk by calculating OR with 95% CIs using logistic regression models.

Results: Compared with sleeping 7-9 hours/night during adolescence, short sleep (<7 hours/night) was associated with increased risk of developing MS (OR 1.4, 95% OR 1.1-1.7). Similarly, subjective low sleep quality during adolescence increased the risk of subsequently developing MS (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.9), whereas phase shift did not significantly influence the risk. Our findings remained similar when those who worked shifts were excluded.

Conclusions: Insufficient sleep and low sleep quality during adolescence seem to increase the risk of subsequently developing MS. Sufficient restorative sleep at young age, needed for adequate immune functioning, may be a preventive factor against MS.

Keywords: epidemiology; multiple sclerosis; sleep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: TÅ has been supported by Tercentenary fund of Bank of Sweden, AFA Insurance and European Aviation Safety Authority. LA reports grants from Swedish Research Council, grants from Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare, grants from Swedish Brain Foundation, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Teva, personal fees from Biogene Idec, outside the submitted work. TO has received lecture/advisory board honoraria, and unrestricted MS research grants from Biogen, Novartis, Sanofi and Merck.

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