Abstract
BACKGROUND: Age-specific differences in the association between sleep duration and atrial fibrillation (AF) remain uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the estimated sleep duration derived from accelerometer data embedded in the Holter-electrocardiogram, association between sleep duration and AF was explored among individuals in their 50 s (working-age) and 70s (retirement-age). In the overall population, AF risk decreased with longer sleep, but the benefit diminished with excessively long sleep (P=0.03). Also, consistent risk reduction with increasing sleep was observed in the 50s age group (P=0.02), but not in the 70s. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate sleep may be associated with AF, particularly, among middle-aged individuals.