Disparities in sleep duration among American children: effects of race and ethnicity, income, age, and sex

Abstract

Children in the United States sleep less than the recommended amount and sleep deficiencies may be worse among disadvantaged children. Prior studies that compared sleep time in children of different race/ethnic groups mostly relied on questionnaires or were limited to small sample sizes. Our study takes advantage of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study to compare total sleep time using a week of actigraphy data among American children (n = 4,207, 9 to 13 y old) of different racial/ethnic and income groups. We also assessed the effects of neighborhood deprivation, experience of discrimination, parent’s age at child’s birth, body mass index (BMI), and time the child fell asleep on sleep times. Daily total sleep time for the sample was 7.45 h and race/ethnicity, income, sex, age, BMI, were all significant predictors of total sleep time. Black children slept less than White children (∼34 min; Cohen’s d = 0.95), children from lower income families slept less than those from higher incomes (∼16 min; Cohen’s d = 0.44), boys slept less than girls (∼7 min; Cohen’s d = 0.18), and older children slept less than younger ones (∼32 min; Cohen’s d = 0.91); mostly due to later sleep times. Children with higher BMI also had shorter sleep times. Neither area deprivation index, experience of discrimination, or parent’s age at child’s birth significantly contributed to sleep time. Our findings indicate that children in the United States sleep significantly less than the recommended amount for healthy development and identifies significant racial and income disparities. Interventions to improve sleep hygiene in children will help improve health and ameliorate racial disparities in health outcomes.

Changes in rest-activity rhythms in adolescents as they age: associations with brain changes and behavior in the ABCD study

“…Finally, individual’s sleep and physical activity level appears to be strongly influenced by environmental factors and social contexts. ABCD findings have highlighted the importance of socioeconomic status, household income, marital status of parents, race and sex 17–19 , consistent with findings from non-ABCD studies 20 . Together, emerging evidence including from ABCD studies suggests a strong relationship between sleep duration, sleep timing, physical activity and mental health.…”

Sleep matters: Neurodegeneration spectrum heterogeneity, combustion and friction ultrafine particles, industrial nanoparticle pollution, and sleep disorders—Denial is not an option

“…Sleep disorders affect individuals of all ages with serious consequences across professions, including sleep deprivation in physicians (201). Our children are sleeping less, and there is a strong association between adverse childhood experiences and age-specific insufficient sleep duration in US youth, with serious repercussions in adulthood (202)(203)(204)(205)(206)(207)(208). There are also significant differences in sleep duration for US children depending on ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES): among 9-13-year olds; black children sleep fewer hours compared to white, and poor children compared to higher-income children (204).…”

“…Our children are sleeping less, and there is a strong association between adverse childhood experiences and age-specific insufficient sleep duration in US youth, with serious repercussions in adulthood (202)(203)(204)(205)(206)(207)(208). There are also significant differences in sleep duration for US children depending on ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES): among 9-13-year olds; black children sleep fewer hours compared to white, and poor children compared to higher-income children (204). Across the US, children sleep much less than what pediatricians recommend according to age, and minorities and disadvantaged children accumulate risk factors detrimental to their health (205).…”

Impact of movie and video game elements on tic manifestation in children

“…Do computer games and video content exacerbate tics (i.e., involuntary sudden, rapid, recurrent, and nonrhythmic vocalizations\hyperkinetic movements)? Given that children and adolescents in Western countries such as the UK and USA spend approximately 25%-50% of their waking hours on consumption of movies and games [1][2][3], the impact of these media on tic disorders in both the short and the long term is of considerable significance.…”