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Socioeconomic status, gender and marital status influence sleep disturbances

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – According to a research abstract that will be presented on Wednesday, June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, increased sleep disturbances are associated with lower education, income or being unmarried or unemployed. Disturbances are much more likely in multiracial individuals.

Results indicate that individuals with higher socioeconomic status and education levels sleep better than those of lower socioeconomic status. The study also found that gender, younger age and being single negatively affect sleep. Women reported more sleep problems than men (22 percent versus 16 percent), especially between the ages of 40 and 65 years. Finally, more sleep problems were reported in people between the ages of 18 and 24 years than older people.

Lead author Michael Grandner, PhD, postdoctoral fellow with the center for sleep and respiratory neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia stated that both internal and external factors may cause individuals with low socioeconomic status to experience more sleep disturbances.

“Lower socioeconomic status is associated with a number of internal factors that can cause poor sleep, including illness, fewer support systems, depression, anxiety, dissatisfaction, lower quality of life, and less motivation to see sleep as a priority,” said Grandner. “A number of external factors also may negatively affect sleep as well, such as demanding work schedules, rotating shifts, family demands, limited access to healthcare, and unemployment.”

The study involved information from 159,856 individuals who provided complete data from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Demographic and socioeconomic information was collected and sleep disturbances were measured subjectively.

Findings show that 26 percent of individuals earning less than $10,000 a year reported sleep problems, whereas only 8 percent of those earning $75,000 or more annually reported sleep problems. Participants who had college degrees slept better than those who did not finish high school. People who were employed reported the best sleep, followed by those who were retired, homemakers and students. Of the individuals who were unemployed for less than a year, 32 percent reported sleeping problems; 52 percent of people who were unable to work due to injury, illness or disabilities reported sleep problems. Married people slept better than single individuals; those who were separated had the worst sleep.

People who consistently have difficulty sleeping should speak with their primary care physician to determine if they may be suffering from a sleep disorder. More information about sleep disorders is available from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine at:
http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorders.aspx.

The annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of 6,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine to present and discuss new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.

More than 1,300 research abstracts will be presented at the SLEEP meeting, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. The three-and-a-half-day scientific meeting will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

Abstract Title: Who Sleeps Better? Socioeconomic Differences in Reports of Sleep Disturbance

Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 10

Category: Behavior, Cognition & Dreams

Abstract ID: 1295




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