Effects of Aging and Chronotype on Sleep Habits in Korean Workers

The Korean version of the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) and sleep habits inventory were administered to 1,038 Korean male daytime workers and were analyzed according to age and chronotype to determine what these factors reveal about sleep habits in view of phase difference of circadian rhythm. The mean and distribution of scores on the MEQ moved significantly toward the morning type with aging. Bedtimes and waking times were progressively later from the morning, intermediate, to evening types, and were also earlier with aging. Preferred bedtimes and waking times showed more distinct differences than did the habitual times in each chronotype. The percentage of subjects who answered that sleep length was 'short', mood upon waking was 'bad', and variabilities of bedtime and sleep length were 'large' were greater in the young and evening types than in the elder and morning types, respectively. These findings suggested that subjects were shifted toward the morning type and the phase of circadian rhythm had moved forward with aging. Preferred bedtime and waking time were a better reflection of individual circadian rhythms than habitual bedtime and waking time.