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. 2023 Jul;19(4):392-401.
doi: 10.3988/jcn.2022.0268.

Longitudinal Trends in Sleep and Related Factors Among South Korean Adults From 2009 to 2018

Jee-Eun Yoon  1 , Dana Oh  2 , Inha Hwang  3 , Jung A Park  4 , Hee-Jin Im  5 , Daeyoung Kim  6 , Kwang Ik Yang  7 , Min Kyung Chu  8 , Chang-Ho Yun  9
Affiliations

Longitudinal Trends in Sleep and Related Factors Among South Korean Adults From 2009 to 2018

Jee-Eun Yoon et al. J Clin Neurol. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Excess or insufficient sleep, irregular sleep-wake patterns, and an extreme early or late chronotypes adversely impact physical and mental health. Changes in sleep characteristics should therefore be tracked, and factors that contribute to poor sleep should be identified. We investigated the changes in sleep patterns among South Korean adults during 2009-2018.

Methods: Using data of a representative sample of South Korean adults from the 2009 (n=2,658, 48.5% males; age=44.5±15.0 years old [mean±standard deviation], age range=19-86 years) and 2018 (n=2,389, 49.1% males; age=47.9±16.3 years, age range=19-92 years) Korean Headache-Sleep Study, we explored changes in sleep timing, sleep duration, chronotype, and social jetlag (SJL). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between average sleep duration and depression.

Results: From 2009 to 2018, bedtimes were advanced by 10 and 25 min on workdays and free days, respectively. Meanwhile, wake-up times were advanced by 13 min and delayed by 12 min on workdays and free days, respectively. The average sleep duration significantly decreased from 7.45 h to 7.13 h. The prevalence of short sleep duration (<7 h) increased, whereas that of long sleep duration (≥8 h) decreased. A circadian preference toward eveningness and SJL increased. The prevalence of depression increased from 4.6% to 8.4%, and there were significant reverse J-shaped and U-shaped associations between average sleep duration and depression in 2009 and 2018, respectively.

Conclusions: Changes in sleep patterns and the association between sleep duration and depressive mood were determined from a representative sample of the South Korean adult population. Interventions to modify sleep behaviors might improve public health.

Keywords: chronotype; depression; sleep duration; sleep patterns; trends.

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Conflict of interest statement

Min Kyung Chu, a contributing editor of the Journal of Clinical Neurology, was not involved in the editorial evaluation or decision to publish this article. All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Change in distribution of average sleep duration from 2009 to 2018.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Change in distribution of chronotype from 2009 to 2018. MSFsc, mid-sleep time on free days corrected for sleep debts on workdays.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Age- and sex-related differences in workday and free day sleep patterns from 2009 to 2018 for males (A) and females (B).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Nonlinear dose–response association between sleep duration and depression risk in 2009 (A) and 2018 (B). CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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