Cited by 1,565Sleep and related disordersSleep and Work-Related FatigueCircadian rhythm and melatonin

Self-Reported and Measured Sleep Duration: How Similar Are They?

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Lauderdale, Diane S., Knutson, Kristen L., Yan, Lijing L., Liu, Kiang, Rathouz, Paul J.·2008·Epidemiology

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiologic studies have found that self-reported duration of sleep is associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and mortality. The extent to which self reports of sleep duration are similar to objective measures and whether individual characteristics influence the degree of similarity are not known. METHODS: Eligible participants at the Chicago site of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study were invited to participate in a 2003-2005 ancillary sleep study; 82% (n = 669) agreed. Sleep measurements collected in 2 waves included 3 days each of wrist actigraphy, a sleep log, and questions about usual sleep duration. We estimate the average difference and correlation between subjectively and objectively measured sleep by using errors-in-variables regression models. RESULTS: Average measured sleep was 6 hours, whereas the average from subjective reports was 6.8 hours. Subjective reports increased on average by 34 minutes for each additional hour of measured sleep. Overall, the correlation between reported and measured sleep duration was 0.47. Our model suggests that persons sleeping 5 hours over-reported their sleep duration by 1.2 hours, and those sleeping 7 hours over-reported by 0.4 hours. The correlations and average differences between self-reports and measured sleep varied by health, sociodemographic, and sleep characteristics. CONCLUSION: In a population-based sample of middle-aged adults, subjective reports of habitual sleep are moderately correlated with actigraph-measured sleep, but are biased by systematic over-reporting. The true associations between sleep duration and health may differ from previously reported associations between self-reported sleep and health.

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  • Self-reported sleep duration often differs considerably from objective measures of sleep duration, and may underestimate or overestimate sleep duration compared to these other methods.

    “Self-reported sleep duration often differs considerably from objective measures of sleep duration, and may underestimate or overestimate sleep duration compared to these other methods.121–123”
  • Subjectively and objectively assessed sleep parameters can differ substantially.

    “However, subjectively and objectively assessed sleep parameters can differ substantially (26, 327), which must be considered when evaluating sleep.”

    From The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease (2019) · cites this paper as [327]

  • Sleep duration evaluated by self-report questionnaires and diaries may not agree with actigraphy and PSG; in healthy populations self-reported sleep duration appears longer than actigraphy estimates, while in populations with sleep disturbances self-reported sleep duration tends to be shorter.

    “sleep duration evaluated by self-report questionnaires and diaries may not agree with the results of actigraphy and PSG. In healthy populations, self-reported sleep duration appears to be longer compared with actigraphy estimates, while in populations with sleep disturbances, self-reported sleep duration tends to be shorter”

    From The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease (2019) · cites this paper as [327]

  • Epidemiologic studies carry methodological limitations such as inconsistent definitions of short and long sleep duration categories, inconsistent assessments, variable measurement techniques, and occasionally non-representative samples.

    “Epidemiologic studies, while typically more generalizable, carry methodological limitations such as inconsistent definitions of ‘short’ and ‘long’ sleep duration categories, inconsistent assessments (e.g., differently-worded survey items)[17], variable measurement techniques (e.g., diaries, actigraphy, polysomnography)[38], and occasionally non-representative samples”
  • Sleep duration has been shown to correlate reasonably well with objectively measured sleep (r=0.47).

    “Despite this limitation, sleep duration has been shown to correlate reasonably well with objectively measured sleep (r=0.47)[38].”

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  1. [27]Kish L 1965 Survey Sampling John Wiley and Sons New York

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Authors
Lauderdale, D. S., Knutson, K. L., Yan, L. L., Liu, K., & Rathouz, P. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
Corresponding author
Lauderdale, Diane S.
Venue
Epidemiology
Published
2008-11
Volume
19
Issue
6
Pages
838-845
ISSN
1044-3983 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2060651219
Cited by
1,565
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 88 · 2025: 131 · 2024: 112 · 2023: 83 · 2022: 125 · 2021: 128 · 2020: 112 · 2019: 117 · 2018: 112 · 2017: 112 · 2016: 83 · 2015: 94 · 2014: 69 · 2013: 69 · 2012: 42
FWCI
39.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (n01hc95095-66-0-1, n01hc48050-59-0-1, n01hc48048-58-0-1, n01hc48047-55-0-1, n01hc48049-61-0-1)
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG011412, AG-11412)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (N01HC48050, N01 HC 95095, N01 HC048048, N01-HC-048049, N01 HC095095, N01 HC048050, N01-HC48048, N01-HC-48-049, N01 HC048047, N01-HC-480-47)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
Keywords
sleep duration, self-reported sleep, actigraphy, measurement error, middle-aged adults, health outcomes
MeSH terms
Adult, Data Collection, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Self Concept, Sleep, Time Factors, Cohort Studies, Polysomnography

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