This study examined associations between culture, immigration, acculturation, and sleep among non-U.S.-born Latinx adults. Insufficient data exist regarding the influence of culture and immigration experiences on sleep outcomes, necessitating the need for this preliminary investigation. This qualitative investigation explored the relationships between acculturative stress, immigration experiences, and sleep, and how these varied by country of origin. Participants completed a survey focused on demographics, acculturation, ethnic identity, family support and obligations, and sleep. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted virtually (due to in English or Spanish. The participants (n = 20) were 60% female, 90% White, 100% Latinx, and between 21 and 58 years old. Participants rated their sleep quality as very bad to fairly bad using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; M: 1.95; SD: .887), with an average sleep duration of 6.8 hr (SD: 1.32). Qualitative analysis identified three major themes: (a) country/region of origin influences Latinx immigrant experience and sleep behavior, (b) perception and experience of one's neighborhood influence sleep, and (c) U.S. immigration policy dynamics indirectly impact Latinx immigrant sleep. This pilot study begins to fill a gap in the nascent sleep literature with individuals from Latinx communities in the United States and abroad. When describing individual and societal-level sleep practices, participants highlighted considerable differences in cultural attitudes about the value and role of sleep that varied by Latinx country or region.
Public Significance StatementSleep is essential in promoting healthy brain and body functioning. This study explores the relationship between sociocultural and policy-related influences on sleep among immigrant Latinx populations. Factors such as neighborhood safety, volatility in U.S. policies toward immigration and asylum, family and cultural attitudes regarding sleep practices and productivity, and level of acculturation impacted participants' sleep either negatively or positively.