# Sleep Health Profiles in Middle-aged Workers in Relation to Cardiovascular and Cognitive Health

> **NIH NIH R56** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA · 2020 · $412,264

## Abstract

Middle-aged workers are vulnerable to having poor sleep, which is a public concern as it may lead to decreased
productivity at work and increased risks of health problems over time. Most studies have associated one aspect
of sleep (often focusing on sleep duration) with work or health-related variables, lacking a comprehensive
understanding of how the combinations of multiple dimensions of sleep within individuals are associated with
work-related stress and health outcomes. For example, a combination of sufficient sleep duration, regular
sleep/wake, efficient sleep, and no insomnia symptom may be more predictive of concurrent and later
cardiovascular and cognitive health than sleep duration alone. We propose to use multidimensional sleep
health profiles that measure “which” and “how many” sleep problems co-occur within individuals. Harmonizing
two independent project data sets from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) and Work, Family &
Health Study (WFHS), the proposed study aims at examining the relationships between work-to-nonwork
conflict (work stress carried over to and interfering with family and personal activities including sleep), sleep
health profiles, and cardiovascular and cognitive health. Aim 1 will identify sleep health profiles in middle-aged
workers and examine the associations of work-to-nonwork conflict with the sleep health profiles. Using
extensive measures of self- reported and actigraphy-measured sleep, we will identify a priori-defined and
empirically-derived sleep health profiles in diverse forms and will evaluate reproducibility of sleep health
profiles across MIDUS and WFHS samples. Aim 2 will examine the associations of the sleep health profiles
with cardiovascular health outcomes. Taking advantage of two cohorts in MIDUS that were sampled before
and after the U.S. Great Recession period (2007-2009), we will also examine the health impacts of a macro-
level stressor, whether those who were exposed to the economic recession exhibit a stronger link between
sleep health profiles and cardiovascular outcomes than a propensity-matched sample who were not exposed
to the recession but otherwise equal on all observables. Aim 3 will further examine the associations of the
sleep health profiles with cognitive outcomes, leveraging MIDUS longitudinal cognitive data that include
objectively measured episodic memory and executive functioning. We will also explore (1) whether sleep health
profiles mediate the relationships between work-related stress (work-to-nonwork conflict) and cardiovascular
and cognitive health, (2) potential moderation by sex and race, and (3) daily characteristics that predict optimal
sleep health nights (using machine-learning). The proposed sleep health profiles can be broadly used to
improve prediction accuracy in health screening tools. Focusing on middle-aged workers will contribute to
decreasing health disparities in the workforce and promoting work productivity and healthy aging. Findings will...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10248728
- **Project number:** 1R56AG065251-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Soomi Lee
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $412,264
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10248728

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10248728, Sleep Health Profiles in Middle-aged Workers in Relation to Cardiovascular and Cognitive Health (1R56AG065251-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10248728. Licensed CC0.

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