Association between dietary salt intake frequency and sleep patterns:the mediating role of depressive symptoms
MA Siheng
WANG Qilong
ZHANG Yuyu
LIU Nian
SU Rui
WANG Tingrui
WANG Huaning
CAI Min
Abstract：Objective To explore the association between dietary salt intake and sleep indicators(including sleep continuity,sleep disturbances,and difficulty falling asleep),and to evaluate the mediating role of depressive symptoms,in order to reveal the potential mechanisms by which high-salt diet affects sleep health.Methods The study included 8 440 participants,with data derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2010.Multiple logistic regression and mediation analysis were used to examine the relationships between the frequency of adding salt to food,depressive symptoms,and sleep indicators.Generalized additive models were also employed for robustness testing.Results After adjusting for all confounding factors,the frequency of adding salt to food was significantly positively associated with sleep problems[OR=1.236,95％CI=(1.075,1.422),P=0.002].Depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationships between the frequency of adding salt and various sleep indicators(sleep disturbances,sleep duration,sleep patterns,and difficulty falling asleep):the frequency of adding salt significantly and positively predicted depressive symptoms(β=0.281,P＜0.01);depressive symptoms significantly and positively predicted sleep disturbances(β=0.993,P＜0.01),abnormal sleep patterns(β=1.417,P＜0.05),and difficulty falling asleep(β=1.369,P＜0.01),while negatively predicting sleep duration(β=-0.505,P＜0.01).Sensitivity analysis showed that higher sodium intake was associated with shorter sleep duration,and this association was more pronounced in individuals with depressive symptoms.Conclusion Depressive symptoms partially mediate the relationship between the frequency of dietary salt addition and decreased sleep quality.
Keywords：sodium chloridemajor depressive disorderdepressive symptomssleep disordersleep-awake rhythmmediation effect analysislogistic regressionNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Publication Date：2026-03-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 346-353 )