Study Finds Racial Disparities in Childhood Insomnia That Persist Among Young Adults

In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Sleep, researchers analyzed results from 519 participants in a long-term sleep health study. This group of people underwent sleep studies as children, again as teens, then once more in young adulthood to track how their sleep health evolved.

Of the study participants, 12.9% identified as Black/African American, 7.1% as Hispanic/Latinx, 3.5% as “other,” and the rest as white. The researchers looked for symptoms of insomnia, a condition characterized by persistent trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Trusted Source American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in sleep medicine health care, education, and research. View Source  

Compared to non-Hispanic white participants, Black study participants were found to be 2.6 times more likely to show symptoms of insomnia in childhood that persisted through young adulthood. The researchers conducted statistical analysis to rule out the chances that sleep differences were caused by other factors such as body weight, sex, or other medical conditions. 

According to the study data, Hispanic participants were 1.8 times more likely than white individuals to have persistent insomnia symptoms starting in childhood. However, the percentage of Hispanic people in the study was relatively small and was not representative of the total Hispanic population in the United States. Trusted Source Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. View Source  

There are many potential reasons why insomnia is more prevalent among Black people. For example, research suggests that socioeconomic factors, neighborhood stressors, and stress related to racially motivated police violence may all affect sleep for Black Americans.

Chronic insomnia can have significant impacts on health and may partly explain why certain conditions, such as cardiovascular disorders, are more common among African Americans. 

In a press release, Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine and the senior author of the recent study, advocated for early intervention to address childhood sleep issues.

“We shouldn’t wait until someone comes to the clinic as an adult who has suffered from poor sleep all their life,” Fernandez-Mendoza said. “We need to pay more attention to insomnia symptoms in children and adolescents.”