Effect of Night Sleep Duration on Chronic Lung Disease in Middle‐Aged and Older Adults: A 9‐Year Follow‐up Analysis From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

The rising incidence of chronic lung disease (CLD) has emerged as a critical health problem. While numerous studies have explored lifestyle factors contributing to CLD, the critical role of sleep remains understudied. This cohort study aimed to assess the association between night sleep duration and incidence of CLD through a 9-year follow-up survey: 10527 participants were enrolled from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and the data on incident CLD from the 2011 baseline survey and four subsequent follow-up waves were analysed statistically. Night-time sleep duration was categorized into three groups: short (< 7 h per night), optimal (7-9 h), and long night-time sleep duration (> 9 h). We used multivariate Cox regression modelling to examine the effect of baseline night sleep duration on the onset of CLD. After the 9-year follow-up, the incidence of CLD in participants with short, optimal, and long night-time sleep duration was 17.71, 13.76 and 19.76/1000 person-years, respectively. Compared with individuals with optimal night sleep duration, individuals with short night sleep duration had a 26.3% higher risk of developing CLD (HR: 1.263, 95% CI: 1.136-1.404), and those with long night sleep duration had a 39.0% higher risk of developing CLD (HR: 1.390, 95% CI: 1.095-1.764). Longer or shorter night sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of developing CLD. Maintaining an optimal night-time sleep schedule may help reduce the risk of CLD in middle-aged and older adults.