The Association Between Sexual Orientation and Sleep: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals, face unique stressors that may impact health outcomes.
• Sleep is a fundamental aspect of health, and disparities in sleep may contribute to broader health inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing research on sleep differences between LGB and heterosexual individuals.
• To identify study-level factors that might moderate the relationship between sexual orientation and sleep outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of PsycInfo, Medline, and PubMed databases was conducted for observational studies published between 2000 and 2026.
• Studies comparing LGB and heterosexual groups on any sleep measure were included, with effect sizes analyzed using a random effects model.

Main Results:

• The meta-analysis included 44 studies comprising 69 effect sizes.
• LGB individuals reported significantly shorter sleep duration, longer sleep onset latency, and poorer sleep quality compared to heterosexual individuals (all p < 0.001).
• Larger effect sizes for sleep duration were observed in studies with higher proportions of LGB women/girls, bisexual individuals, and racial/ethnic minorities (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• LGB individuals experience worse sleep health across multiple dimensions compared to heterosexual individuals.
• Specific subgroups, including LGB women/girls, bisexual individuals, and racial/ethnic minorities, may face greater sleep challenges.
• These findings highlight potential links between minority stress, sleep disparities, and mental health inequities in the LGB population.