The prevalence of short sleep duration and sleep disturbances among working-age adults in Poland – a secondary analysis

Introduction Sleep is essential for physical, mental and occupational functioning. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of short sleep duration and sleep disturbances among working-age adults in Poland as well as to identify factors associated with sleep disturbances. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of data derived from a nationwide cross-sectional survey (December, 2024) on health-related behaviors among 5,006 working-age adults (18–64 years) in Poland. Questions on sleep health were analyzed. Short sleep duration was defined as less than 7 h per day. Results In the study population ( n = 5,006), 17.9% of respondents reported sleeping less than 7 h on weekdays: 21.7% for men and 14.1% for women ( p 0.001). Among the respondents, 6.5% reported sleeping less than 7 h on weekends: 8.0% among men and 4.9% among women ( p 0.001). Sleep disturbances were reported daily or almost daily during the past three months by 12.0% of respondents, a further 17.5% reported experiencing them a few times a week, and 22.5% a few times a month. Additionally, 15.8% reported sleep disturbances less than once a month, while 32.5% reported never experiencing them. There were significant differences ( p 0.05) by gender, age, educational level, place of residence, employment status, self-reported financial situation, and self-reported health status. In multivariable logistic regression model, female gender ( p 0.001), having primary ( p 0.001) or secondary education ( p 0.05), living in cities over 500,000 inhabitants ( p 0.01), poor financial situation ( p 0.001) and bad health status ( p 0.001) were significantly associated with higher odds of reporting sleep disturbances. Conclusions This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of short sleep duration on weekdays among working-age adults. Findings from this study underline the need to strengthen public health interventions focused on sleep health. Interventions should be particularly targeted to males, older adults, those with primary or vocational education, and those of poor economic status.