Discrimination, psychosocial resources, and sleep: A test of the reserve capacity model

Sleep and health are both related and tied to race and ethnicity. Discrimination is a potent stressor among people of color that may impair sleep, whereas psychosocial resources are potentially modifiable and may improve sleep. The Reserve Capacity Model posits that psychosocial resources promote health and can buffer the negative impacts of stress. This study is the first to apply the Reserve Capacity Model to discrimination and multiple self-reported sleep outcomes.

Participants (N = 261, 35.3% people of color) were from the North Dakota State University National COVID Study, an ongoing study of psychosocial factors, sleep, and well-being launched in April 2020. Cross-sectional analyses are from Wave 3 (Summer 2020), approximately 3 months into the pandemic and after racialized sociocultural events transpired in the United States. Nested multiple regressions were used to assess the independent, additive, and interactive effects of discrimination and psychosocial resources (a composite of perceived control, loneliness, optimism, meaning and purpose, and positive affect) on multiple self-reported sleep measures.

Both discrimination and psychosocial resources were independently associated with sleep. However, once considered jointly, psychosocial resources were stronger predictors of sleep health and insomnia symptoms, whereas discrimination was a stronger predictor of daytime sleepiness. There was no statistically significant interaction of psychosocial resources and discrimination.

Our study applied the Reserve Capacity Model to sleep and found additive (but not interactive) effects for discrimination and psychosocial resources. Future research focusing on sleep and inequities therein should consider the role of psychosocial resources in promoting sleep health in diverse populations, even in stressful contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).