Colin Snow
People in Asia sleep less than Americans and Europeans, according to a global survey of 14,100 people in 28 countries and regions. The Japanese get the least sleep, with 41% managing six hours or less each night. However, when it comes to how much sleep they need, Asians and Hispanics report needing 7 hours and 29 minutes of sleep each night to perform at their best during the day. This is significantly more than the 7 hours and 5 minutes that Blacks/African-Americans say they need.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep duration | Asians tend to sleep less than Whites, but more than Blacks/African-Americans. |
| Sleep quality | Asians report lower sleep quality than Whites. |
| Sleepiness | Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness. |
| Sleep disturbances | Asians are less likely to lose sleep due to personal financial concerns than other groups. |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Asians report the lowest rates of losing sleep due to personal financial concerns
It is not true that Asians need less sleep. In fact, Asians report the lowest rates of losing sleep due to personal financial concerns, but they also report significant levels of daytime sleepiness.
A poll found that Asians get more sleep than Blacks/African Americans on workdays/weekdays (6 hours and 40 minutes for Blacks/African Americans compared to 7 hours and 12 minutes for Asians). However, Asians report needing 7 hours and 29 minutes of sleep each night to perform at their best during the day, which is significantly more than the 7 hours and 5 minutes that Blacks/African Americans say they need.
Despite the fact that every racial group gets less sleep than Whites, only Blacks/African Americans reported suffering poor sleep quality and only Asians reported significant levels of daytime sleepiness. This finding is particularly surprising, as Asians tend to have lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels as Whites. The authors of the poll surmise that the majority of the differences in sleep patterns between races can be chalked up to environmental or even geographical factors rather than genes or physical characteristics.
A comprehensive review of racial sleep disparities found that Asian American adults, compared to non-Hispanic White adults, had shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, and more sleep complaints. Sparse literature describes sleep disorders in Asian Americans, and in a study comparing Asian American and White patients diagnosed with SDB, Asian Americans were found to have a much higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite having a lower rate of obesity.
Ectomorphs and Sleep: Do They Need More Rest?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness
It is not true that Asians need less sleep. In fact, Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness. This is surprising, given that Asians tend to have lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels as whites. However, they still show shorter and poorer sleep.
A poll found that Asians get 34 minutes more sleep on a work night/weeknight than Blacks/African Americans and 38 minutes more than Whites. Asians and Hispanics report needing 7 hours and 29 minutes of sleep each night to perform at their best during the day, while Blacks/African Americans say they need only 7 hours and 5 minutes.
A comprehensive review of racial sleep disparities found that Asian American adults, compared to non-Hispanic White adults, had shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, and more sleep complaints. Interestingly, daytime sleepiness in Asian Americans was lower than in non-Hispanic White adults. However, Asian Americans were found to have a much higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite having a lower rate of obesity.
Bearded Dragons and Their Sleeping Preferences: Soft or Hard?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Asian Americans have a higher prevalence of sleep apnea
It is not true that Asians need less sleep. In fact, Asians report needing more sleep than Blacks/African Americans (7 hours and 29 minutes compared to 7 hours and 5 minutes). However, Asian Americans have been found to have a higher prevalence of sleep apnea.
A comprehensive review of racial sleep disparities found that Asian American adults, compared to non-Hispanic White adults, had shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, and more sleep complaints. Interestingly, despite the fact that every racial group got less sleep than whites, only Blacks/African Americans reported suffering poor sleep quality and only Asians reported significant levels of daytime sleepiness. This finding was particularly surprising, since Asians tended to have lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels as whites, but still showed shorter and poorer sleep.
In addition, Asian Americans were found to have a much higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite having a lower rate of obesity. This suggests that there may be other factors contributing to the higher prevalence of sleep apnea in this population. One possible factor could be environmental or geographical factors, as suggested by Carnethon.
Overall, the findings on sleep differences among ethnic groups provide important insights for public health professionals. For example, the higher rates of sleep apnea in Blacks/African Americans may be associated with their higher rates of hypertension and diabetes. Similarly, the higher prevalence of sleep apnea in Asian Americans could have implications for improving awareness, education, and therapy compliance rates in this population.
Why Women Need More Sleep: Understanding the Science
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Asian Americans have a lower rate of obesity
It is not true that Asians need less sleep. In fact, Asians report needing more sleep than Blacks/African Americans (7 hours and 29 minutes compared to 7 hours and 5 minutes). However, they do tend to have lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels than whites. Interestingly, despite the fact that every racial group gets less sleep than whites, only blacks report suffering poor sleep quality and only Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness.
Sleep Study: Prescription Needed or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Asian Americans have a similar rate of narcolepsy to other races
It is not true that Asians need less sleep. In fact, Asians and Hispanics report needing the most sleep, at 7 hours and 29 minutes each night to perform at their best during the day. This is significantly more than Blacks/African Americans, who say they need only 7 hours and 5 minutes of sleep each night.
However, despite getting more sleep than Blacks/African Americans, Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness. This is surprising, as Asians tend to have lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels as whites. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that the majority of the differences in sleep patterns between races can be chalked up to environmental or even geographical factors rather than genes or physical characteristics.
When it comes to specific sleep disorders, Asian Americans have a similar rate of narcolepsy to other races, although they report less frequent cataplectic attacks. Asian Americans also have a much higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite having a lower rate of obesity. Sparse literature describes sleep disorders in Asian Americans, so more research is needed to fully understand the sleep patterns and disorders in this population.
Light Exposure: Friend or Foe for Sleep?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
No, Asians report needing 7 hours and 29 minutes of sleep each night to perform at their best during the day.
Yes, but at a lower rate than other groups. 9% of Asians report losing sleep due to personal financial concerns at least a few nights a week, compared to 22% of Hispanics, 20% of Whites, and 19% of Blacks/African-Americans.
Yes, despite having lower body mass indexes and higher or equal education levels as Whites, Asians report significant levels of daytime sleepiness.
Sparse literature describes sleep disorders in Asian Americans, but one study found that Asian Americans had a much higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) despite having a lower rate of obesity.
Yes, Asian American adults have shorter sleep duration than non-Hispanic White adults.
