United States citizens fromAfrica, Asia and Latin America sleep less and are more sleepy during the daythan white people, according to two studies presented at SLEEP 2012, the annual meeting of the associations of Sleep Professionals (APSS) that takes place these days in Boston.
The first study, conducted by researchers at the State University of New York, evaluated data from interviews with 400,000 citizens. White Americans reported sleepingmore than the recommended 7-9 hours a dayby the health authorities. However, African Americans reported sleeping less than 6 hours, and those from India reported sleeping an average of 6 to 8 hours.
The second study, from the Feinberg School of Medicine at the Northwestern University of Chicago, obtained similar results after evaluating the duration and quality of sleep of 400 Americans from different backgrounds. Average hours of sleep varied by race, with 7.4 hours for whites; 6.9 for Hispanics and Asians; and 6.8 for blacks. The latter also obtained the lowest values in thesleep quality indicators, such as the number of times to wake up throughout the night. On the other hand, Asians reported the highest levels of sleepiness during the day.
“These racial differences persisted even when other factors affecting night rest such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea were excluded,” explained Mercedes Carnethon, one of the authors of the second study.
Researchers warn that sleeping less and more than the recommended hours can increase the risk of cardiovascular accidents and other mental disorders such as depression.
