Self-reported short and long sleep duration, sleep debt and insomnia are associated with several types of infections: Results from the Norwegian practice-based research network in general practice - PraksisNett

Bjørn Bjorvatn; Guri Rørtveit; Ingrid Rebnord; Siri Waage; Knut Erik Emberland; Ingeborg Forthun

doi:10.1016/j.sleepx.2023.100074

Self-reported short and long sleep duration, sleep debt and insomnia are associated with several types of infections: Results from the Norwegian practice-based research network in general practice - PraksisNett

Sleep Med X. 2023 May 5:5:100074. doi: 10.1016/j.sleepx.2023.100074. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Bjørn Bjorvatn^{1

2}, Guri Rørtveit¹, Ingrid Rebnord¹, Siri Waage^{2

3}, Knut Erik Emberland¹, Ingeborg Forthun⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
² Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
³ Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
⁴ Department of Disease Burden, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway.

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to assess the association between self-reported infections and sleep duration, sleep debt, chronic insomnia, and insomnia severity.

Methods: In total, 1023 participants were recruited from the Norwegian practice-based research network in general practice to a cross-sectional online survey with validated questions about sleep habits and insomnia symptoms (Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)), and whether they had experienced various infections during the last three months. Data were analyzed with chi-square tests and logistic regressions with adjustment for relevant confounders.

Results: Self-reported short sleep duration (<6 h) was significantly associated with increased odds of throat infection (OR = 1.60), ear infection (OR = 2.92), influenzalike illness (OR = 1.81) and gastrointestinal infection (OR = 1.91) whereas long sleep duration (>9 h) was associated with increased odds of throat (OR = 3.33) and ear infections (OR = 5.82), compared to sleep duration of 6-9 h, respectively. Sleep debt of >2 h was associated with increased odds of the common cold (OR = 1.67), throat infection (OR = 2.58), ear infection (OR = 2.84), sinusitis (OR = 2.15), pneumonia/bronchitis (OR = 3.97), influenzalike illness (OR = 2.66), skin infection (OR = 2.15), and gastrointestinal infection (OR = 2.80), compared to no sleep debt. Insomnia (based on BIS and ISI) was associated with throat infection (OR = 2.06, 2.55), ear infection (OR = 2.43, 2.45), sinusitis (OR = 1.82, 1.80), pneumonia/bronchitis (OR = 2.23, 3.59), influenzalike illness (OR = 1.77, 1.90), skin infection (OR = 1.64, 2.06), gastrointestinal infection (OR = 1.94, 3.23), and eye infection (OR = 1.99, 2.95).

Conclusions: These novel findings support the notion that people who have insufficient sleep or sleep problems are at increased risk of infections.

Keywords: Chronic insomnia; Infection risk; Insufficient sleep.