Sleep Competing Activities and Sleep Problems in Minority College Students

Abstract

This study addressed health disparities in sleep duration, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness among African-American college students. To investigate evening behaviors promoting insufficient and inadequate sleep, we assessed electronic (e.g., computer and music) and nonelectronic (e.g., socializing) sleep competing activities (SCA). Students (N=154) were recruited from a Historically Black College (HBCU). The results showed more dysfunction than has previously been reported in college populations, with HBCU students reporting very short sleep durations, high levels of daytime sleepiness, and poor sleep quality. These students engaged in many activities during the evening, and these activities predicted unhealthy sleep. Whereas electronic and nonelectronic activities significantly impacted sleep quality and sleep duration, only electronic activities were significantly related to sleep latency and only nonelectronic activities were significantly related to daytime sleepiness. We conclude that sleep is a major concern for college students and, in particular, racial minority college students. Understanding the role of SCA can help address the various environmental barriers for successful treatment of these young adults.Keywords College students . Sleep quality . Excessive daytime sleepiness . Sleep competing activities Previous research has highlighted the relationship between sleep problems and a variety of physical (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and pain) [1][2][3][4] and mental health concerns [5]. The link between sleep problems and health risks continues throughout adulthood [2]. Evidence suggest that many college students report unhealthy sleep parameters [6] and that younger adults report unhealthier sleep than older adults [7]. With an eye toward reducing health risks, this study focused on understanding how sleep competing activities (SCA) were related to sleep problems in a vulnerable minority college-age population. Given the large amount of time that students spend with electronics and its impact on sleep [8], coupled with their risk for circadian and delayed sleep phase problems [9], this study also investigated if activities based around electronics (e.g., computers and phone applications) affect sleep differently than nonelectronic sleep activities such as socializing or studying.While there are many types of sleep problems, inadequate sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are among the most common and most widely studied. Inadequate sleep duration and poor sleep quality often co-occur and produce EDS, although each of these three sleep problems can occur independently of one another. Achieving optimal healthy sleep requires adequate sleep duration, infrequent sleep onset and maintenance difficulties, and optimal sleep timing, all of which cumulatively produce an appropriate level of daytime alertness.In college students, many of these previously mentioned sleep parameters are inadequate. For example, research over the past three decad...

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