Link Between Sleep Quality, Duration, and Anxiety Symptoms in Elderly Individuals: A Comprehensive 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.
