Seasonal Changes in Sleep Duration in African American and African College Students Living In Washington, D.C.

Abstract

Duration of nocturnal melatonin secretion, a marker of “biological night” that relates to sleep duration, is longer in winter than in summer in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but not in healthy controls. In this study of African and African American college students, we hypothesized that students who met criteria for winter SAD or subsyndromal SAD (S-SAD) would report sleeping longer in winter than in summer. In addition, based on our previous observation that Africans report more “problems” with change in seasons than African Americans, we expected that the seasonal changes in sleep duration would be greater in African students than in African American students. Based on Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) responses, African American and African college students in Washington, D.C. (N = 575) were grouped into a winter SAD/S-SAD group or a no winter diagnosis group, and winter and summer sleep length were determined. We conducted a 2 (season) × 2 (sex) × 2 (ethnicity) × 2 (winter diagnosis group) ANCOVA on reported sleep duration, controlling for age. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that African and African American students with winter SAD/S-SAD report sleeping longer in the summer than in the winter. No differences in seasonality of sleep were found between African and African American students. Students with winter SAD or S-SAD may need to sacrifice sleep duration in the winter, when their academic functioning/efficiency may be impaired by syndromal or subsyndromal depression, in order to meet seasonally increased academic demands.

Seasonal changes in sleep duration and sleep problems: A prospective study in Japanese community residents

“…We confirmed the findings of previous studies that sleep duration was longer in winter than in summer [12–14, 30] in a general population living in a temperate zone. However, the degree of the winter–summer difference in sleep duration was less than that reported in previous studies.…”

“…However, the degree of the winter–summer difference in sleep duration was less than that reported in previous studies. The mean difference in our sample was 11.4 min, while that in previous studies was 24.6–36.0 min [13, 14]. This difference could be due to numerous factors, including differences in sampling, climate, ethnicity, and culture.…”

“…In clinical settings, patients with winter-type SAD have been reported to have longer sleep duration and more severe depressive symptoms in winter than in summer [11]. To a lesser degree, studies applying the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), a self-report questionnaire that retrospectively assesses the magnitude of seasonal changes in mood and behavior, have documented prolongation and reduction of sleep duration in winter and summer among those not suffering from SAD [12–14]. A telephone survey of Maryland residents reported that the average sleep duration during winter was 7.41 h, compared with 7.05 h during summer [13].…”

“…A telephone survey of Maryland residents reported that the average sleep duration during winter was 7.41 h, compared with 7.05 h during summer [13]. Volkov et al reported that college students in the US showed 24.6 min longer sleep duration in winter compared with summer [14].…”

Seasonality of blood neopterin levels in the Old Order Amish

“…For this reason, though it is unlikely that the seasonal administration of the SPAQ may have affected responses, this is possible. In a study of college students during different seasons, there were no significant seasonal differences in the SPAQ-derived GSS and winter SAD [144]. Our findings may have also been driven by summer exposure to allergens such as grass, weed and pollen, consistent with the Th2 shift theory presented in Ciprandi et al [102].…”