A new study from scholars at Michigan State University has uncovered racial disparities in the sleep duration and variability of sleep times among children in the United States.
In an examination of more than 3,800 children from Asian, Black, Latinx, White, and multiracial backgrounds, the authors found that children of color, on average, sleep less, go to bed later, and have a greater variability in their bedtimes than their White peers. Compared to all other groups, Black children had the lowest mean level of sleep duration and the highest variability in duration, bedtime, rise time, and efficiency.
As sleep is an essential component of pediatric health, the authors believe their findings suggest pediatric clinicians should inquire about sleep habits when working with children from diverse racial backgrounds. They also believe there is a need for the development of school programs and mobile technologies that promote pediatric sleep health.
In addition to Michigan State University, the study included authors from Fordham University in New York and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
