Night Shifts, Sleep Duration, and Telomere Length in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Liang Geyu, Schernhammer Eva, Qi Lu, Gao Xiang, De Vivo Immaculata, Han Jiali
Primary Institution: Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
Is there a relationship between rotating night shifts, sleep duration, and telomere length in women?
Conclusion
Sleep duration is positively associated with telomere length among women under 50 years old.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with less than 6 hours of sleep had a 0.12 unit decrease in telomere length.
- Significant positive association between sleep duration and telomere length was seen among women under age of 50.
- Women with a longer history of rotating night shifts tended to have shorter telomere length.
Takeaway
Getting enough sleep is good for your body, especially for younger women, as it helps keep your cells healthy.
Methodology
The study evaluated associations using multivariable linear regression on data from the Nurses' Health Study.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include self-reported sleep duration and rotating night shifts.
Limitations
The study was limited to Caucasian women and may not generalize to other populations.
Participant Demographics
Participants were female registered nurses aged 30 to 55.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website