ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1612280
Sleep Matters: The U-Shaped Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Overactive Bladder in U.S. Adults
Provisionally accepted
- 1Eighth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China
- 2Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, China
- 3School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- 4Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
- 5The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Medical University, Huaihua, China, Huaihua, China
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Objective To investigate the independent and combined associations of sleep duration and sleep disorders with the risk of overactive bladder (OAB) and identify threshold effects of sleep duration on OAB. Methods Data from the NHANES (2005–2018) were analyzed, including 27,302 adults, among whom 5,601 (20.5%) were diagnosed with OAB. Associations between sleep duration (≤6 hours, >6–<9 hours, ≥9 hours), sleep disorders, and OAB risk were assessed using multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and smooth curve fitting, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related covariates. Results A significant nonlinear, U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and OAB risk was observed. Compared to individuals with a sleep duration of 6–9 hours, those with short sleep duration (≤6 hours) had a slightly lower risk of OAB (OR = 0.94), while those with long sleep duration (≥9 hours) had a significantly higher risk (OR = 2.54). Self-reported sleep disorders independently elevated the risk of OAB (OR=1.46). RCS analysis identified 6 hours of sleep as a critical inflection point. Conclusions This study reveals a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and the risk of overactive bladder (OAB), with both short (≤6 hours) and long (≥9 hours) sleep durations increasing OAB risk. These findings highlight the importance of sleep management in OAB care. Behavioral interventions, including sleep hygiene education and bladder training, may help mitigate symptoms and improve patient outcomes.
Keywords: overactive bladder, sleep duration, Sleep Disorders, U-shaped, NHANES
Received: 15 Apr 2025; Accepted: 08 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Guang, Wang, Wang, Ma, Chen, Wu, Pan, Zhang and Song. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Haiyuan Song, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Medical University, Huaihua, China, Huaihua, China
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