Comparison of self-reported sleep sufficiency and accelerometer-measured sleep duration in relation to mental health, physical health and life satisfaction

Hannah Ahrensberg^1*Anne Illemann Christensen¹Susan Andersen¹Christina Bjørk Petersen^1,2

• ¹National Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
• ²Frederiksberg Hospital Center for Klinisk Forskning og Forebyggelse, Frederiksberg, Denmark

Introduction: Sleep is crucial for health and well-being, but different dimensions of sleep may affect health differently. This cross-sectional study explores the associations of self-reported sleep sufficiency and accelerometer-measured sleep duration with mental health, physical health, and life satisfaction. Materials and methods: Data from 1,022 individuals (age ≥16 years) from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey in 2023 were used. Mental and physical health were assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire, and life satisfaction with the Cantril Ladder scale. Multiple adjusted linear regression models were used to examine associations separately and in four combined categories: (1) low sufficiency, <7/>9 hours (n=106), (2) low sufficiency, 7-9 hours (n=89), (3) high sufficiency, <7/>9 hours (n=271), and (4) high sufficiency, 7-9 hours (n=556). Results: Deviations from recommended sleep durations (<7 or >9 hours) and low sleep sufficiency were associated with poorer mental health, physical health and life satisfaction, most strongly for mental health and life satisfaction. Specifically, individuals sleeping 7-9 hours with low perceived sleep sufficiency had mental health scores of 10.9 points (95% CI: -13.2; -8.6) lower than those sleeping 7-9 hours and reporting high sleep sufficiency. Similarly, those sleeping <7/>9 hours and reporting low sleep sufficiency had mental health scores 8.6 points (95% CI: -10.8; -6.25) lower. Conclusion: Regardless of sleep duration, low sleep sufficiency was consistently associated with poorer health outcomes, suggesting that self-reported sleep sufficiency may be more correlated to health than accelerometer-measured sleep duration alone. These findings underscore the need to integrate multiple sleep dimensions and measurement strategies into public health surveillance.