Racial Disparities in Sleep During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction The purpose of the present study was to estimate average sleep duration and sleep disturbance in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we investigated whether sleep varied as a function of sociodemographic variables, in particular race. Long standing disparities in condition and available resources between racial demographics often lead to disparities in health. At the advent of a pandemic, which strains these systems further, it is important to assess whether or not racial disparities persist. This is important given that racial groups are likely affected by the pandemic, both directly and indirectly, in various ways. Here, we plan to at least assess whether there are any disparities with regard to sleep. Methods 4,048 adults (Mage = 45.8 years;79% women) completed an online survey during April – June 2020. The final sample's self-reported race/ethnicity consisted of 84% White, 5.1% Black, 3.4% LatinX, 4.2% Asian or Asian American, and 2.9% Multi-racial. Sleep disturbance was assessed using a retrospective sleep diary and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results Average sleep duration in the sample was 7.1 hours. Participants reported taking on average 32 minutes (SD = 38 mins) to fall asleep and reported waking up for 32 minutes (SD = 53 mins) during the night. Approximately 17% of the sample endorsed clinically elevated insomnia symptoms (based on the ISI ≥ 15 cut-off). With regard to racial differences, shorter total sleep time (TST), longer sleep latencies (SL), and greater total ISI scores were observed in Black (mean TST = 6.4 hours;SL = 37.7 minutes;ISI Total = 9.8) and LatinX (mean TST = 6.9 hours;SL = 37.1 minutes;ISI Total = 9.6) participants relative to White participants (Mean TST = 7.1 hours;SL = 30.9 minutes;ISI Total = 8.4). All p's < 0.05. Conclusion Sociodemographic variables, particularly race, should be considered when estimating the relative impact of sleep on overall health. These findings are significant as they may have implications for a number of health disparities observed in the United States, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support (if any) Vargas: K23HL141581

Does Social Media Use Before Bed Lead to Sleep Continuity Disturbance?

Introduction Research shows that the use of electronics before bed can negatively impact the circadian rhythm and sleep. Less is known, however, about social media use in relation to sleep continuity disturbance (i.e., insomnia). In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media use increased and updates about the pandemic were easily accessible online. It is possible that social media use before bed could introduce additional psychological stressors due to availability of negative content online and known correlations to depression and anxiety. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine how social media use before bed influenced different subtypes of insomnia during the initial months of the pandemic. Methods 4,138 adults (mean age = 45.8 years;79% women) completed a national online survey during April – June 2020. Social media use before bed was measured using the first item on the Social Media Engagement questionnaire (i.e., “How often do you use social media in the 15 minutes before you go to sleep?”). Participants responded to this item based on how many days per week (range = 1-7). Sleep disturbance was assessed using a retrospective sleep diary and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The sleep diary asked about sleep continuity (e.g., sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time) during the past month. Results Results from separate regression analyses supported that social media use before bed was positively related to greater ISI scores, b = 0.25, t = 8.0, p < 0.001. For example, those who use social media before bed every day reported greater mean ISI scores and sleep latency times (mean ISI = 9.5;SL = 37.5 minutes) compared to those who reported never using social media before bed (mean ISI = 7.7;SL = 27.9 minutes). In contrast, social media use before bed was not related to other sleep continuity variables. Conclusion The present data supports that social media use before bed is related to insomnia symptoms, specifically difficulty with sleep initiation. These findings are significant as they may help us understand which aspects of insomnia are most vulnerable to the negative impact of online social interactions, especially during a highly stressful period, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Support (If Any) K23HL141581 (PI: Vargas);R25HL10544 (PI: Jean-Louis);K24AG055602 (PI: Perlis)