Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sleep regulation is linked to autonomic function, with sleep disruptions often indicating dysregulation in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This study conducted a cluster to identify the autonomic function profiles associated with sleep quality. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Banyumas Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, in February to April 2023, and recruited 437 individuals aged 18-26 years. Autonomic function was evaluated using heart rate variability parameters, including low-frequency, very-low-frequency, and high-frequency bands. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A k-means cluster analysis was conducted to identify patterns in ANS activity across various clusters, and the optimal number of clusters was determined using the silhouette method. RESULTS: Three clusters of participants with poor sleep quality (n = 381) were identified. Cluster 1 (n = 95) exhibited normal overall activity, with low sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and high parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity; Cluster 2 (n = 81) exhibited high ANS and SNS activity and normal PNS activity; and Cluster 3 (n = 205) exhibited low PNS and ANS activity and normal PNS activity. Two clusters of participants with good sleep quality (n = 56) were identified. Cluster 1 (n = 11) exhibited high ANS and PNS activity and low SNS activity, and Cluster 2 (n = 45) exhibited low ANS and PNS activity and normal SNS activity. CONCLUSION: Understanding autonomic function clusters is essential for developing techniques for measuring sleep quality in young adults and establishing effective health promotion programs.