Gun ownership and sleep disturbance
Terrence D Hill1, Benjamin Dowd-Arrow2, Amy M Burdette2
1The University of Arizona, School of Sociology, Social Sciences Building, Room 427, 1145 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Preventive Medicine
|January 29, 2020
Summary
Gun ownership does not improve sleep quality, even in high-fear neighborhoods. This study finds no empirical link between owning a gun and experiencing better sleep or reduced sleep disturbance.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Sleep Medicine
- Criminology
Background:
- Cultural narratives suggest gun ownership enhances feelings of safety and security.
- Empirical evidence directly linking gun ownership to improved sleep is lacking.
- Widespread speculation exists within gun culture regarding the sleep benefits of firearm ownership.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct association between gun ownership and sleep disturbance.
- To examine if gun ownership moderates the relationship between neighborhood fear and sleep disturbance.
- To provide empirical data on the gun ownership-sleep relationship.
Main Methods:
- Utilized four waves of cross-sectional data from the General Social Survey (2010-2018).
- Employed logistic regression to model sleep disturbance as a function of gun ownership.
- Tested for statistical interactions between gun ownership and neighborhood fear.
Main Results:
- Gun ownership was found to be unrelated to sleep disturbance across various sleep specifications.
- No statistically significant interactions were observed between gun ownership and neighborhood fear.
- Fear of walking alone at night was associated with restless sleep, but gun ownership offered no mitigating effect.
Conclusions:
- This study provides consistent empirical evidence that gun ownership is not associated with better sleep.
- Findings challenge cultural narratives suggesting firearms enhance personal security and sleep.
- Further research with longitudinal data and refined sleep measures is recommended for replication.
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