What question did this study set out to answer?

To quantify differences in sleep health experiences across racial and ethnic groups among US teens.

May 10, 2026

0301 Sleep Health and Race/Ethnicity Among US Teens – Data from the National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America® Poll

Key Points

To quantify differences in sleep health experiences across racial and ethnic groups among US teens.
Population-based sample from National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America® Poll (N=1,101)
Data collected included sleep satisfaction, duration, and sleep disorders, analyzed using regression methods adjusted for demographics and socioeconomic factors.
Participants self-reported their race/ethnicity and various sleep-related items.
Black/African-American teens were 72% less likely to report being 'Very Dissatisfied' with sleep (RRR=0.28).
Hispanic/Latino teens reported 62% lower rates of sleep disorder diagnosis and fewer days/week taking sleep-promoting medications.
Blacks/African-American teens felt sleepier (0.61 additional days/week) and reported significantly less weekend sleep (52.7 fewer minutes) than Non-Hispanic Whites.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction There is limited population sleep data among teens from historically underserved groups. This study quantified differences in sleep health experiences across racial/ethnic groups. Methods Data were obtained from the National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America® Poll. The population-based sample (N=1,101) provided data on a range of sleep questions. Items included satisfaction with sleep overall, feeling refreshed, energy level, falling asleep, awakenings, WASO, weekday and weekend sleep duration, and ability to relax. Also, items assessed overall sleep quality, weekday and weekend sleep duration, bedtime, and waketime, and days/week difficulty falling or staying asleep, sleepiness, taking sleep-promoting medications, and sleep impacting daytime functioning. Additional items probed for a sleep disorder diagnosis, talking to a doctor about sleep, perceived sleep need,. Race/ethnicity was self-reported and categorized as Non-Hispanic White, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian/Other. Regression analyses were population-weighted and adjusted for age, gender, and socioeconomics. Results Compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks/African-American teens were less likely to be “Very Dissatisfied” with sleep (RRR=0.28) and report their WASO as “Very Difficult” (RRR=0.19), reported 52.7 fewer minutes of weekend sleep, reported 0.61 additional days/week of sleepiness, were 56% less likely than Non-Hispanic Whites to discuss sleep with their doctor, and reported 25.3 fewer minutes of sleep need. Hispanic/Latino teens reported 0.35 fewer days/week taking sleep-promoting medications, were 62% less likely to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder and 62% less likely to talk to their doctor about sleep, compared to Non-Hispanic White teens. Conclusion Contextual factors that explain why teens from historically underserved groups reporting better sleep satisfaction, less sleep need, and being less likely to talk to their doctor about sleep, need to be explored. More research is needed into methods to promote sleep health equity in US teens. Support (if any) R01MD011600, R01MH135978

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