14 DAY TRIAL // The US National Sleep Foundation has recently released the results of a new scientific study it conducted on four different ethnic groups in the United States. Researchers studying sleep had for a long time proposed that snoozing is different between people of various races and ethnic groups, simply because many other variations exist among these groups too. But the investigation is the first one to actually look at the issue directly. The study was conducted via telephone interview, with more than 1,000 American participants, LiveScience reports.
Each of the respondents identified themselves as being Asian, Hispanic, Black or White at the beginning of the conversation, and then they were asked questions about a variety of behaviors they exhibit before going to bed each night. “There's enough research out there to suggest there may be ethnic differences in sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, differences in the amount and quality of sleep, and the health consequences of sleep disorders,” explains University of Alabama professor and study researcher Kenneth Lichstein, who is also the director of the Sleep Research Project at the university.
One of the primary conclusions of the research was the fact that very few individuals in the sampled population slept according to official recommendations. That is to say, the vast majority of participants said that they slept on average between six and seven hours each night, whereas most health agencies around the globe, and research institutes such as the Mayo Clinic, recommend at least 8 hours. Scientists say that the main beneficiary of this time frame is the immune system, which is strengthened the more we sleep. Conversely, if we skip sleep hours, we tend to be drowsy, and also have difficulties concentrating. Our memory's ability to learn new things is impaired as well, experts say.
“It surprised me that about 75 percent in all groups believed sleep was related to health and daily functioning. This signals to me a tremendous awareness among healthcare providers and patients about health and sleep,” Lichstein reveals. It was also shown in the research that a relatively large percentage (19 to 24 percent) of all participants missed some type of family function, or didn't make it to work at least on one occasion, on account of being too sleepy. When it came to couples, including married and co-habiting ones, about one fifth said that they were simply too tired some nights to engage in intercourse. However, Blacks and Hispanics were 10 times more likely to do so, whereas Asians were the least likely.
“What also stood out to me was how busy people are in the hour before going to sleep. I've never seen data like this before. They're working; they're watching TV; they're on their computers; they're praying; they're busy [intercourse]. That's usually something sleep specialists would recommend against. That hour before sleep should be a quiet time, a time to wind down,” the expert concluded.