Sleep duration and life satisfaction among older people in China: a longitudinal investigation

This study used a nationally representative sample of older adults in China (age ≥ 60 year; n = 4,861) to unveil the reciprocal relationship between sleep duration and life satisfaction over time. Data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013, 2015, 2018 waves). Cross-lagged and bivariate linear growth curve analyses were conducted together to investigate the reciprocal longitudinal relationship between sleep duration and life satisfaction. This 7-year follow-up study confirmed the positive reciprocal cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between sleep duration and life satisfaction. Moreover, the results showed that a change in average relative standing on sleep duration predicted a change in average relative standing on life satisfaction 2 or 3 years later, but the reverse was not true. Attention should be paid on the nighttime sleep behaviors of Chinese older adults to enhance their life satisfaction.