Nonlinear relationship between sleep duration and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour among Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a positive association between sleep deprivation and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents, but few studies have described the effects of oversleeping and weekend catch-up sleep on NSSI. The present study aimed to explore the nonlinear relationship between sleep duration and NSSI among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Data from China’s National Adolescent Health Surveillance for the years 2014 to 2015 were collected from 15,713 students located across four provinces in China. A self-report questionnaire was used to assess sleep duration and 12-month NSSI. Binomial logistic regression models were used to examine the association between NSSI and sleep duration. The locally estimated scatter plot smoothing (LOESS) method was used to explore the associations of total NSSI number with sleep duration, and binomial regression analysis was used to test this relationship. RESULTS: About 68.5% of adolescents reported sleeping less than 8 h on weeknights, while 37.8% of adolescents slept more than 10 h per night during weekends. The 12-month prevalence rate of NSSI was 29.4%. Compared to adolescents who reported weekend catch-up sleep of 0–1 h, those who slept < 0 h (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.38, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 1.16–1.64) had a higher risk of NSSI. Males who reported ≥3 h of weekend catch-up sleep had significantly increased odds of NSSI (aOR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.01–1.42). Notably, a positive U-shaped association was observed between the sleep duration and the total NSSI number. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reveal a nonlinear relationship between sleep duration and NSSI among Chinese adolescents. Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant and screen for sleep duration among adolescents in NSSI treatment or prevention. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-021-03539-x.