Skin color stratification and sleep duration: Evidence from a nationally representative sample

Area of Science:

• Sleep science
• Public health
• Sociology of health

Background:

• Sleep duration is a key determinant of population health.
• Existing research highlights racial/ethnic disparities in sleep duration in the US.
• The role of skin color in sleep patterns remains under-examined despite its association with health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate population-level disparities in sleep duration based on skin color.
• To determine if skin color influences the likelihood of short or long sleep durations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) dataset (n=9114).
• Utilized multinomial regression to compare short sleep (≤6 hours) and long sleep (≥9 hours) relative to normal sleep (7-8 hours).
• Data collected from a nationally representative sample of US adults between 2016-2018.

Main Results:

• Individuals with dark and medium skin tones exhibited higher odds of short sleep compared to those with light skin.
• Individuals with medium and dark skin tones also showed higher odds of long sleep compared to those with light skin.
• Limited evidence suggested racial/ethnic moderation of skin tone effects on sleep duration.

Conclusions:

• Skin color is a significant factor influencing population-level sleep duration patterns.
• Findings underscore the importance of considering skin color in public health initiatives related to sleep.
• Further research may explore the mechanisms underlying skin color-based sleep disparities.