BackgroundThe RU_SATED scale is a multidimensional instrument measuring sleep health, consisting of Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, Duration dimensions. We adapted and validated the Chinese RU_SATED (RU_SATED-C) scale.MethodsThe RU_SATED-C scale was developed through a formal linguistic validation process and was validated in an observational longitudinal survey design. Healthcare students completed the RU_SATED scale, Sleep Quality Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 among two sites of Hangzhou and Ningbo, China. Psychometric assessments included structural validity, longitudinal measurement invariance, convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability.ResultsA total of 911 healthcare students completed the RU_SATED-C scale at baseline (Time 1, T1) and follow-up (Time 2, T2) with an average time interval of 7 days + 5.37 h. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a single-factor model and resulted in an acceptable model fit. The two-factor model previously found in the Japanese version fit better than the one-factor model, whereas the one-factor model fit had a better fit than the two-factor model found in the English version. Longitudinal CFA resulted in negligible changes in fit indices for four forms of increasingly restrictive models and supported that a single-factor model was equivalent over time. The data also endorsed longitudinal measurement invariance among the two-factor models found in the English and Japanese samples. The RU_SATED-C scale total score displayed a moderately strong negative correlation with sleep quality; however, negligible associations were observed with anxiety and depression. Ordinal Cronbach’s alpha and Ordinal McDonald's omega at T1 and T2 ranged from suboptimal to acceptable. The RU_SATED-C scale and all items were significantly correlated across time intervals.ConclusionThe RU_SATED-C scale is an easy-to-use instrument with potentially valid data for the measurement of multidimensional sleep health. Use of the RU_SATED-C scale can help raise awareness of sleep health and could pave the way for important efforts to promote healthy sleep.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-023-01203-5.