Association between sleep characteristics and periodontal health: a cross-sectional analysis of the Rafsanjan Cohort Study

Bacterial activities and products can directly cause inflammation and periodontal disease. Different sleep characteristics can be affected by periodontal disease, yet the association is unclear. This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the Rafsanjan Cohort Study. Sleep characteristics assessment was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire. Periodontal health was determined by using four major clinical indicators such as bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing pocket depth (PPD), and calculus presence. Data were processed using STATA version 14 and p < 0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that among 6,750 participants, the prevalence of BOP, calculus, PPD, and CAL was 73.31%, 81.49%, 13.75%, and 59.67%, respectively. Multivariable regression analysis indicated sedative-hypnotic medication users tend to have lower odds of CAL (OR: 0.79, 95% CI 0.63–0.99, p = 0.04) and calculus (OR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.54–0.88, p = 0.003). Longer nighttime sleep duration was associated with lower odds of BOP (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99, p = 0.03). Additionally, time of waking up after 6:00 AM was associated with lower odds of CAL (OR: 0.84, 95%CI 0.75–0.93) and BOP (OR: 0.83, 95%CI 0.74–0.93). The findings of this study indicate an association between sleep-related factors and periodontal health status. Specifically, we observed that longer self-reported nighttime sleep duration, the use of sedative-hypnotic medications, and waking up after 6:00 AM were associated with more favorable periodontal outcomes based on standard periodontal indices. The generalizability of these findings requires validation in rigorously designed prospective studies.