Does the association between self-reported restless sleep and objective sleep efficiency differ in obese and non-obese women? Findings from the kingston senior women study

Our study assessed the validity of self-reported restless sleep (SRRS) in measuring sleep efficiency and the degree to which these measures differed depending on obesity status in older women. Data were from 100 participants enrolled in the Kingston Senior Women Study. Participants recorded SRRS for 7 consecutive nights. Sleep efficiency measures were recorded nightly through actigraphy. Repeated-measures multilevel logistic analysis was used. Mean sleep efficiency was 87% (SE = 1.09), SRRS occurred in 37% (SE = 3) of nights. Obesity status moderated the association between sleep efficiency and SRRS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.02, 1.14]) when controlling for age, medication intake, and depressive symptoms. Higher sleep efficiency reduced the odds of SRRS in non-obese women, but no association was shown in obese women. The lack of correspondence between objective and subjective measures in obese women suggests that SRRS may not be as indicative of sleep quality in obese compared with non-obese older women.