Multidimensional Sleep and Self-Rated Physical Health and Depressive Symptoms Among Retired Older Adults: A Sex-Stratified Analysis.

Objectives: Individual sleep characteristics have been shown to independently influence physical and mental health in older adults, but these characteristics are often interdependent. However, few studies have explored multidimensional sleep health in relation to self-rated health outcomes among retired older adults, particularly with regard to sex differences. This study examined the associations between multidimensional sleep health, and self-rated physical and mental (i.e. depressive symptoms) health in retired older adults (M years of retirement = 6.59), stratified by sex.

Methods: Participants (n = 154; Mage = 68.4, 55.2% female) reported physical health (RAND-12) and depressive symptoms (CES-D). Multidimensional sleep health was measured using wrist actigraphy to assess sleep efficiency, timing, duration, and regularity, and sleep diaries to evaluate daytime alertness and sleep satisfaction. Each component was dichotomized and summed for a composite score (0-6). Hierarchical linear regressions examined the relationships between multidimensional sleep health and health outcomes.

Results: Women had poorer multidimensional sleep health compared to men. In the full sample, poorer multidimensional sleep health was associated with worse self-rated physical health and depressive symptoms. Sex-stratified analyses revealed significant associations only in women.

Conclusion: Multidimensional sleep health is associated with self-rated physical health and depressive symptoms in older retired women. Future research should explore why sleep health may be more salient for self-rated physical health and depressive symptoms in women vs. men and their links to health outcomes, providing insights for tailored interventions.