Sleep Duration and Metabolic Syndrome Severity Scores in Emerging Adults

OBJECTIVES: Research suggests sleep duration can influence metabolic systems including fasting glucose, blood pressure, hormone regulation, nervous system activity, and total energy expenditure (TEE), all of which are related to cardiometabolic disease risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome severity scores (MSSS) in a sample of emerging adults (18–24 y/o). METHODS: Data were collected between 2012 and 2021 from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey, an ongoing, cross-sectional study conducted at a midsized northeastern university. Anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical measures were obtained following an overnight fast and used to assess the prevalence if metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS severity scores (MSSS) were calculated using race- and sex-specific formulas. Sleep duration was calculated from the difference in self-reported bedtime and get-up time acquired though an online survey. ANCOVA was used to examine the relationship between sleep duration and MetS severity score while adjusting for covariates (age, sex, BMI, physical activity level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and major). RESULTS: MetS (>3 criteria) was present in 3.4% of the final sample (n = 3,893); 15.7% of students >2 MetS criteria. Mean MSS was −0.65 + 0.56 and reported sleep duration was 7.91 + 1.2 hours/day. MSS differed between for short sleepers (< 7 hrs) and long sleepers (>9 hrs) compared to the reference sleepers (7–8 hrs/day) (−0.61 + 0.21 and −0.63 + 0.13 vs. −0.7 + 0.15, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that short (<7 h/d) and long (>9 h/d) sleep durations raise the risk of MetS in a sample of emerging adults. Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of improving sleep habits on future disease risk. FUNDING SOURCES: New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project 1010738.