Accumulating epidemiological research evidence suggests that lifestyle and environmental factors are closely related to the onset and exacerbation of dry eye disease. Sleep is an essential part of our everyday life, and sleep disturbance has been associated with the onset of chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, as well as overall mortality. This study included approximately 100,000 healthy Japanese individuals aged 40-74 years who participated in a baseline survey (2011-2016) of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT). We assessed the associations of sleep duration and sleep quality (having difficulty falling or staying asleep or waking up tired) with the prevalence of dry eye based on questionnaire results in a cross-sectoral manner. Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that both women and men who slept ≤ 5h/d had approximately double the prevalence of dry eye compared with those who slept 8h/d. The association between sleep duration and dry eye showed a U-shaped curve in men. The prevalence of dry eye was significantly higher in participants who experienced difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up tired almost every day than those who almost never experienced these episodes (the prevalence of dry eye was 2.23 times higher in men who experienced difficulty falling asleep, 1.89 times higher in men who experienced difficulty staying asleep, and 3.89 times higher in men who experienced waking up tired, whereas in women, the rates were 1.91, 1.70, and 2.84 times higher, respectively [p<0.001]). This study showed that both sleep duration and sleep quality were associated with dry eye, suggesting that maintaining 7-8h/d of good sleep is important for preventing dry eye disease.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 127: 1031-1038, 2023.