Heterogeneities in sleep duration and quality among U.S. immigrants from different racial and ethnic backgrounds

Sleep plays an essential role in well-being. Although U.S. immigrants are considerably growing, few studies have examined sleep in this diverse population, particularly those from Asian backgrounds. It is also unclear how sleep differs by the length of residence across immigrant groups. In this study, we examined the relationships among race/ethnicity, length of residence, and sleep using a nationally representative cohort of U.S. immigrants.

We analyzed data from the 2013-2018 National Health Interview Survey. The sample (N = 27,761; 14% ≥65 years old) included foreign-born adults from the following racial/ethnic backgrounds: non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Asian (Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian), and Hispanic/Latino. Length of residence was categorized as <5, 5-9, 10-14, and ≥15years. Sleep was assessed with self-reported sleep duration (normal, short, and long) and poor sleep quality (trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and waking up unrested).

Filipino and Hispanic/Latino immigrants reported the highest prevalence of short (41.8%) and long (7.0%) sleep, respectively. Non-Hispanic White immigrants had the highest prevalence rate across all three poor sleep quality measures (range 17.7-41.5%). Length of residence ≥15years was significantly associated with worse sleep, and it moderated White-Asian differences in sleep quality. Immigrants from different racial/ethnic groups showed variations in sleep patterns as they resided longer in the US.

Immigrants exhibited substantial heterogeneities in sleep. Future research should investigate the contributing factors to the variations in their sleep patterns, both between groups and within the same group of immigrants, in order to inform tailored interventions.