Key result
Greater sleep onset variability at age 15 linked to ~95% higher hospitalization odds at age 22.
Why the study?
Few studies have examined long-term associations between adolescent sleep and young adult health, particularly using objective sleep measures.
Do actigraphic sleep measures and insomnia symptoms in adolescence predict health and wellbeing in young adulthood?
Cohort (n=2,011)
Do actigraphic sleep measures and insomnia symptoms in adolescence predict health and wellbeing in young adulthood?
Effect estimate: OR 1.95
p-value: p=0.038
Poorer actigraphic sleep health and insomnia symptoms during adolescence predict a higher likelihood of overnight hospital stays and worse general health in young adulthood.
Adolescent sleep irregularity may mark future health risks; leaves open causality as hypothesis-generating data needing prospective validation.
Introduction Few studies have examined long-term associations between adolescent sleep and young adult health, especially using objective sleep measures. We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between measures of actigraphic sleep and insomnia symptoms with health and wellbeing from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods Data were from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (actigraphy n=295; insomnia n=2011; 53%F), a diverse, longitudinal birth cohort. Youth wore wrist-actigraphy at ages 15 (M±SD=6.7±2.0 nights) and 22 (11.5±3.5 nights) and self-reported insomnia symptoms, overnight hospital stays in the prior year, general health, and life satisfaction. Logistic regression models (with adjusted p-values per the false discovery rate [FDR]) assessed whether ages 15 and 22 actigraphic sleep measures (mean and variability [SD] of timing, duration, and sleep maintenance efficiency [SMEff], social jetlag), and self-reported difficulty falling (≥2 nights/week) and staying (≥1 night/week) asleep predicted age 22 health and wellbeing, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported health and wellbeing at age 15. Results Greater variability in sleep onset (OR=1.95, pFDR=.038), more social jetlag (OR=2.46, pFDR=.038), and difficulty falling asleep (OR=1.66, pFDR=.006) at age 15 predicted higher odds of staying overnight in the hospital in the past 12 months at age 22. Later sleep offset at age 15 predicted worse general health at age 22 (OR=0.83, pFDR=.041). Lower SMEff (OR=1.10, pFDR=.043), greater variability in sleep timing (OR=0.65-0.71, pFDR=.009) and in TST (OR=0.40, pFDR<.001), and self-reported difficulty falling asleep (OR=0.47, pFDR<.001) were cross-sectionally associated with lower odds of better general health at age 22. Difficulty falling asleep was also cross-sectionally associated with lower odds of positive life satisfaction at age 22 (OR=0.38, pFDR<.001). Conclusion Poorer actigraphic sleep health and insomnia symptoms during adolescence predicted higher likelihood of an overnight hospital stay during young adulthood, even after adjustment for hospital stays at age 15 and sleep health at age 22. Cross-sectionally, young adults who had poorer actigraphic sleep health and difficulty falling asleep reported lower life satisfaction and worse general health at age 22. Improving youth sleep regularity and insomnia symptoms may protect young adult health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. Support (if any)
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Mathew et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Insomnia and sleep health (n=2,011). Actigraphic sleep measures and insomnia symptoms was evaluated on Overnight hospital stay in the past 12 months at age 22 (OR 1.95, p=0.038). Greater variability in sleep onset at age 15 predicted higher odds of staying overnight in the hospital at age 22 (OR 1.95, p=0.038).
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