Sleep duration variations across weekdays and weekends and their associations with generalised anxiety disorder and depressive symptoms in Nigerian adults

BACKGROUND: Sleep duration and weekday-weekend sleep variability are increasingly recognised as important determinants of mental health. However, evidence from African populations on the relationship between sleep patterns and symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression remains limited. This study examined the associations of sleep duration and multidimensional sleep patterns with GAD and depressive symptoms among Nigerian adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,223 adults with complete data. Weekday and weekend sleep duration were categorised as short (< 7 h), normal (7-9 h), or long (> 9 h). Sleep patterns were classified as: (1) optimally based (optimal, suboptimal weekday, suboptimal weekend, mixed) and (2) consistency based (consistent normal, consistent short, consistent long, inconsistent). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between sleep variables and mental health outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 55.8%, 36.4%, and 7.8% of participants reported short, normal, and long weekday sleep duration, respectively, compared with 36.7%, 47.8%, and 15.5% during weekends. The prevalence of GAD and depressive symptoms was 12.8% and 31.4%. Compared with normal sleep duration, short and long weekday sleep were associated with higher odds of GAD (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.89-4.63 and AOR = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.68-7.10, respectively). Similarly, short and long weekend sleep were associated with higher odds of GAD (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.44-3.25 and AOR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.75-4.87, respectively). Suboptimal weekday, mixed, consistent short, consistent long, and inconsistent sleep patterns were also significantly associated with GAD (AORs = 2.72-4.08). For depressive symptoms, long weekday sleep (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.01-2.75), long weekend sleep (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.81-3.73), suboptimal weekday sleep (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.02-1.94), mixed sleep patterns (AOR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.43-3.43), and inconsistent sleep patterns (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.26-2.48) were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Both sleep duration and sleep regularity were associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms among Nigerian adults. Interventions targeting both sleep duration and sleep regularity may help promote mental well-being. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.