Although each group reported getting between six and seven hours of sleep on the average weekday (or other workday), the amount of sleep did vary significantly. African Americans got the least (about 6.25 hours), and whites got the most (just under 7 hours).
With numbers like these, it’s not surprising that relatively few of the survey respondents reported consistently getting a good night’s sleep. “Most people require seven to nine hours of sleep to feel rested,” says Balkin. “The first step is to become aware of the problem, and then make more time for sleep and engage in practices that promote good, healthy sleep.”
According to Balkin, good sleep hygiene includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day (ideally without an alarm clock); using the bedroom only for sleep and sex; abstaining from nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol after 2 p.m.; and avoiding stressful tasks right before bed.
“If you try all these tips and are still not getting enough sleep or are still sleepy, you may have a problem that requires a greater level of intervention, such as medication or light therapy, which can help re-train or reset your body’s internal clock,” he adds.
The rate of diagnosed sleep disorders differs among the groups, the survey found. Whites were more likely to have been diagnosed with insomnia, while African Americans were more likely to have sleep apnea, a breathing problem that causes people to wake up frequently.
What else is keeping us awake at night? Roughly 20% of African Americans, Hispanics, and whites said that financial problems were causing them to lose sleep at night, compared to just 9% of Asians. More so than other groups, Hispanics also worried about health-related concerns.
Priyanka Yadav, DO, a sleep medicine specialist at Somerset Medical Center, in Somerville, N.J., says the survey’s findings suggest that she and other experts in the field need to tailor their treatment to different ethnicities.
While Asians reported the fewest sleep problems and were among the least likely to use sleeping aids (such as medication), for instance, they were also least likely to bring up sleep problems with their doctors. “Now that I know this, if I had an Asian patient, I would ask them about their sleep to get the dialogue started,” says Dr. Yadav.
“It is really important to realize how ethnicities view sleep, so we can better target our treatment recommendations,” she adds.
In the end, the racial and ethnic differences in the survey may be less important than the fact that so many people struggle to get a good night’s rest, suggests Mark W. Mahowald, MD, the director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, in Minneapolis.
“There are ethnic and cultural differences and socioeconomic factors that play a role in how much sleep everyone gets, but a significant percent of the adult population is sleep deprived,” he says. “The main consequence of this is impaired performance in the workplace, in the classroom, and behind the wheel, followed by irritability.”
People with busy schedules often cut back on sleep to make time for other things, Dr. Mahowald adds. But, he says, “Sleep is non-negotiable and is as important as diet and exercise to our overall well-being.”
