Koreans with Poor Sleep Quality See Depression Rates Double in 10 Years... "Need to Sleep Adequate Hours"

Seongnam Seoul National University Hospital Professor Yoon Chang-ho's Team
Less Than 5 Hours of Sleep Increases Depression Risk by 3 Times
7-8 Hours of Sleep Is Appropriate

A study has found that the lack of sleep time among Koreans has led to an increase in the prevalence of depression.

Professor Yoon Chang-ho, Department of Neurology, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital.

On the 31st, a research team led by Professor Yoon Chang-ho of the Department of Neurology at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Yoon Ji-eun of the Department of Neurology at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital announced this finding through a study that confirmed the relationship between changes in sleep characteristics of Korean adults over the past 10 years and depression.

The research team surveyed randomly selected adults in 2009 (2,836 people) and 2018 (2,658 people) on wake-up time, bedtime, total sleep time, subjective experience of sleep deprivation, sleep quality, and depression.

As a result, compared to 2009, the prevalence of depression increased from 4.6% to 8.4% in 2018. Additionally, the average sleep time decreased by 19 minutes, and the proportion of people who perceived insufficient sleep increased from 30.4% to 44.3%. The sleep latency, which refers to the time taken to fall asleep, increased by 8 minutes on weekdays and 7 minutes on weekends, indicating decreased sleep efficiency on both weekdays and weekends. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, where a score above 5 indicates potential sleep deprivation) also increased from 3.6 to 3.8.

A table comparing the average sleep duration and depression prevalence rates in 2009 (left) and 2018. It shows that people who sleep less than 5 hours have a 3.08 times (2018) to 3.74 times (2009) higher risk of developing depression compared to those who sleep 7 to 8 hours. [Data provided by Bundang Seoul National University Hospital]

This study is significant as the first domestic research on changes in sleep characteristics targeting Koreans, revealing the association between sleep duration and depression. Notably, in both 2009 and 2018, the prevalence of depression was lowest among those who slept 7 to 8 hours. People who slept less than 5 hours had a 3.08 to 3.74 times higher prevalence of depression compared to those who had an appropriate amount of sleep. Also, those who slept more than 9 hours showed a 1.32 to 2.53 times higher prevalence of depression, confirming the importance of appropriate sleep duration.

Professor Yoon Chang-ho emphasized, "Insufficient sleep time and poor sleep quality can cause various diseases such as stroke and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to depression. Especially, sleeping less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours increases the risk of depression, so it is important to maintain an appropriate sleep duration." Professor Yoon Ji-eun added, "Most indicators, including average sleep time and sleep quality, have worsened compared to 10 years ago. Education on the importance of good sleep habits is necessary to prevent diseases and maintain a healthy life."

This study was published in the SCI journal 'Journal of Clinical Neurology,' issued by the Korean Neurological Association.

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