Sleep Health Disparities in Diverse Populations
Summary
Sleep health disparities arise when patterns of sleep duration, quality and disorders differ systematically across social, economic and cultural groups. Such disparities reflect the interplay of structural factors—socioeconomic status, occupational demands, discrimination and acculturation stress—with individual behaviours and biological predispositions. Marginalised communities often experience higher rates of insufficient sleep, insomnia and fragmented sleep, contributing to elevated risks of cardiometabolic disease, impaired mental health and reduced quality of life. Global evidence highlights that racial and ethnic minorities, immigrant populations and those in precarious employment report more severe sleep disturbances than their peers. Addressing these inequalities requires culturally tailored interventions, improved access to sleep health services and policies that target upstream determinants such as housing, workplace conditions and social support. By recognising sleep as a public health priority, clinicians and policymakers can work together to reduce the burden of sleep-related morbidity across diverse populations.
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Sleep Health Disparities in Diverse Populations publication trend
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Technical terms
Sleep health disparities: Systematic variations in sleep outcomes across population groups due to social, economic and environmental factors.
Insomnia: Persistent difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, leading to daytime impairment.
Short sleep duration: Habitual sleep of less than the recommended 7–8 hours per night for adults.
Acculturation stress: Psychological strain resulting from adapting to a new cultural context.
References
- Poor Self-Rated Sleep Quality and Quantity Associated with Poor Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Indigenous Australian Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2024).
- Prospective longitudinal study of ‘Sleepless in Lockdown’: unpacking differences in sleep loss during the coronavirus pandemic in the UK. BMJ Open (2022).
- Stress and sleep: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study. SSM - Population Health (2017).
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