Gender differences in relations between social comparison, social support, and sleep disturbance among midlife and older adults

Objective: To examine associations between sleep disturbance, social support, and social comparison among midlife and older adults, including the moderating role of gender.

Methods: Adults ages ≥40 years (N = 557, MAge = 57, 53% men) completed a cross-sectional survey including validated measures of sleep disturbance, perceptions of social support, and social comparison orientation.

Results: Sleep disturbance was negatively associated with social support (rs = -0.42 to - 0.33, ps = 0.001) and associations were stronger for men than women - particularly perceived support from friends (η ² = 0.01). Sleep disturbance was also associated with upward comparison orientation (r = 0.12, p = 0.003), more strongly for women than men (η ² = 0.01).

Discussion: Findings indicate that perceived support from friends (for men) and upward comparison (for women) may have particular influence on sleep among midlife and older adults. Additional work is needed to clarify the nature of these associations and their mechanism(s) of action, to inform potential treatment adaptations for this population.