Interaction of Long Working Hours and Sense of Coherence on Objective Total Sleep Time: Cross-Sectional Study From the SLEPT Study.

Background: Long working hours are a significant risk factor for reduced sleep duration among workers. Sense of coherence (SOC), a dispositional orientation that enhances resilience to daily stressors, may serve as a protective factor for sleep duration under work-related stress. However, previous studies examining SOC and sleep duration have relied on subjective measures, which may be subject to recall bias. The interaction between long working hours and SOC on objective sleep duration has not been previously investigated.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the interaction between SOC and long working hours on objectively measured total sleep time (TST) among Japanese workers. We hypothesized that individuals with higher SOC would demonstrate less susceptibility to sleep reduction associated with long working hours compared to those with lower SOC.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2016 to 2017 as part of the Sleep Epidemiology Project at the University of Tsukuba (SLEPT) study among workers in Japan. The 13-item Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13) was administered to assess participants' SOC levels, and weekly working hours were self-reported. TST was objectively measured using actigraphy devices worn continuously for 1 week. Long working hours were defined as ≥50 hours per week. Multiple regression analysis was performed with TST as the dependent variable, including long working hours, SOC-13, and their interaction term as independent variables. Simple slope analysis was conducted to examine the interaction effect at different SOC levels of ±1 SD from the mean.

Results: A total of 540 workers were included in the final analysis. The study population had a mean age of 43.2 years, with 41.1% female participants. Mean TST was 322.0 (SD 58.0) minutes, and mean SOC score was 58.3 (SD 11.9). Long working hours were reported by 304 (56.3%) participants. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant main effect of long working hours on reduced TST (β=-.115, P=.023), with workers in the long hours group sleeping 13.5 minutes less per night. Importantly, a significant interaction between long working hours and SOC was observed (β=.147, P=.026), indicating that SOC moderated the relationship between long working hours and sleep duration. Simple slope analysis demonstrated that at low SOC levels (-1 SD), long working hours were significantly associated with reduced TST (β=-24.7, P=.0015).

Conclusions: Workers with lower SOC experienced significantly greater sleep reduction when working long hours, while those with higher SOC maintained relatively stable sleep duration despite extended work schedules. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing SOC may be effective in protecting workers' sleep health, particularly for those unable to reduce their working hours.