Non-linear associations between sleep patterns and sarcopenia risks in older adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Despite considering it as a common geriatric condition, sarcopenia is linked to various behavioral factors that may be changeable. As sleep is one of the important routines in physiological homeostasis, further investigating the underlying relationships of sleep behavior with sarcopenia is urgently needed. We examined the association between sleep parameters (i.e., sleep duration, bedtime, wake time, or mid-sleep time) and sarcopenia risks in older adults, in the total sample and age group subsamples. METHODS A total of 1,068 older adults in Taiwan were included. Data on bedtime, wake time, and sleep duration were collected through telephone interview. Mid-sleep time was calculated by the midpoint of bedtime and wake time. Sarcopenia was screened by the SARC-F questionnaire. Generalized additive models were conducted to examine the non-linear relationships between sleep parameters and sarcopenia risks. RESULTS The covariate-adjusted analysis showed that a reverse J-shaped relationship for sleep duration and sarcopenia risk (p < 0.001) and a significant association for wake time and the SARC-F score (p = 0.009) in total sample, with considering age-related interaction. No associations were found in the other sleep parameters (bedtime and mid-sleep time) and sarcopenia in older adults. Similar associations were observed between wake time and the SARC-F score across age groups while diverse associations of sleep duration with the SARC-F score were found in different age groups. CONCLUSIONS The sleep pattern is significantly associated with sarcopenia risks in aging adults. Improving inappropriate sleep behaviors in older adults is suggested to prevent a decline in muscle function and promote healthy aging.