DARIEN, IL – A new study found that alcohol-sleep relationship differed importantly by race and sex.
Compared to their white counterparts within each alcohol drinking pattern (never, moderate, excessive) investigated, black men and women were significantly more likely to get less than 6 hours of sleep, less likely to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep and generally more likely to get 9 or more hours of sleep. Short sleep disparity increased with increasing alcohol consumption between black and white men. Long sleep duration was more common among heavy drinkers, but only in black men and white women.
“Behavioral correlates like alcohol drinking patterns and sleep track together in a complex manner and could act in concert to exacerbate health disparities by race and sex,” said lead author, Chandra L. Jackson, epidemiologist and research associate at Harvard Catalyst Clinical and Translational Science Center. “Investigating racial disparities could provide insight into the overall alcohol-sleep relationship, susceptibility differences in sleep homeostasis/architecture across groups, and its subsequent impact on health outcomes.”
The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Monday, June 13, in Denver at SLEEP 2016, the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).
Research was conducted by using a nationally representative sample of over 228,000 adults in the National Interview Survey (2004-2014), and applying various adjustment methods.
This study was supported by the Harvard Catalyst Clinical and Translational Science Center (grant 1UL1 TR001102-07)
Abstract Title: The Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Alcohol Drinking Patterns Among Black and White Men and Women in the United States
Abstract ID: 0999
Presentation Date: Monday, June 13
Presentation Type: Oral presentation
Presentation Time: 1:45 PM- 2:45PM
SLEEP 2016 is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The SLEEP 2016 abstract supplement is available at http://sleepmeeting.org/abstract-supplements. For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact AASM Senior Communications Coordinator Amy Pyle at 630-737-9700, ext. 9366, or apyle@aasm.org.
About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality patient centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 11,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals.
