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May 10, 2026SLEEP0 citations

Associations Between Water Mineral Content and Sleep Health Outcomes in UK Biobank

0848 Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Water Mineral Content and Sleep Health in UK Biobank

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Why the study?

Sleep duration and quality are critical for health, yet the impact of environmental determinants such as drinking water quality remains underexplored.

Does water mineral content affect self-reported sleep duration, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness in UK Biobank participants?

Population

24,011 to 25,998 UK Biobank participants

Comparison

Drinking water mineral content exposures including hardness, calcium carbonate, calcium, and magnesium

Design

Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational study

Key result

Soft water was associated with higher odds of insomnia compared to hard water (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.05-1.20), while each SD increase in water calcium was associated with lower odds (OR 0.92).

Authors

QHQinyu HanJHJing HuangTYT M Yang

Discussion

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Overview

No practice change for water hardness in insomnia counseling; leaves open hypothesis-generating link needing prospective trials.

Key Points

  • This research investigates how water mineral content relates to sleep duration and quality in the UK Biobank population.
  • Analyzed three waves of UK Biobank data (T1: 2006–2010; T2: 2012–2013; T3: 2014–2018)
  • Used linear regression for sleep duration and logistic regression for insomnia and daytime sleepiness in cross-sectional analyses
  • Applied generalized linear mixed-effects models in longitudinal analyses for participants with ≥2 time points.
  • Each SD increase in water calcium associated with a 0.0126-hour shorter sleep duration (≈0.76 minutes); no significant correlation for hardness, CaCO3, or magnesium
  • Soft water linked to higher odds of insomnia (OR = 1.12; 95% CI [1.05 to 1.20]), while each SD increase in calcium lowered insomnia odds (OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.92–0.96)
  • Moderately hard water associated with a greater increase in sleep duration over time (β = 0.029).

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=25,998)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does water mineral content affect self-reported sleep duration, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness in UK Biobank participants?

P
Population
24,135–25,998 UK Biobank participants, mean age 55.6 ± 8.3 years, 50.3% female.
I
Intervention
Water mineral content (hardness, calcium carbonate, calcium, and magnesium)
C
Comparator
Different levels of water mineral content (e.g., soft vs hard water)
O
Outcome
Self-reported sleep duration (hours/day), insomnia (yes/no), and daytime sleepiness (yes/no)patient reported

Water mineral content, specifically hardness and calcium levels, showed modest associations with self-reported sleep outcomes such as insomnia and sleep duration.

Main Result

Effect estimate: OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.20)

Limitations

  • Small effects that warrant replication in specific populations and mechanistic studies

Cite This Study

Han et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Sleep health (n=25,998). Water mineral content (hardness, calcium, magnesium) vs. Different mineral concentrations / hardness levels was evaluated on Insomnia (soft vs hard water) (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.20). Soft water was associated with higher odds of insomnia compared to hard water (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.05-1.20), while each SD increase in water calcium was associated with lower odds (OR 0.92).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a002087c8f74e3340f9b70ahttps://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsag091.0847
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