Association of Sleep Quality and Sleep Duration with Anxiety Symptoms in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
-
By
-
Zhang, Junjie
-
Zhu, Xiaochun
-
Zhang, Lei
-
Shen, Yanmin
-
Shi, Meili
-
Min, Haiying
-
May 13, 2026
-
Objective:
To examine the association between sleep quality, sleep duration, and anxiety symptoms in older adults.
Key Findings:
- Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with anxiety (OR = 4.00, 95% CI: 2.96–5.41).
- Short sleep duration was also significantly associated with anxiety (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.85–2.46).
- Poor sleep quality showed a larger pooled association compared to short sleep duration (OR ratio = 1.87).
- Associations remained significant across various subgroups defined by geographic region, study design, and anxiety measurement tool.
Interpretation:
Both poor sleep quality and short sleep duration are linked to anxiety in older adults, with a more substantial association for sleep quality.
Limitations:
- Substantial heterogeneity in sleep quality analysis (I2 = 93.4%) due to differences in measurement instruments and geographic regions.
- Only one missing study was identified in the trim-and-fill analysis.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate associations between sleep quality, sleep duration, and anxiety symptoms in older adults.
