whites, taking longer to fall asleep and staying awake longer in bed. Black and white professionals sleep less than blue-collar workers. Higher-income Black people may be in the minority at work or in their communities, increasing their racism and prejudice, according to some scholars.
To Sleep Well, One Needs To Feel Safe
Feel safe to sleep well. Housing discrimination causes financial and environmental disparity, which impairs sleep. Redlining, which barred Black Americans from purchasing homes in certain areas until the late 1960s, created neighborhoods with poor sleep conditions, including noise, light, poverty, and air pollution. Decades of discriminatory practices have rendered scientifically proven sleep hygiene advice unavailable to those at risk for cardiovascular disease and death.
Climate and environment impact sleep disparities. Without air conditioning, low-income urbanites may have problems sleeping. Closing windows may suffocate by trapping noise, light, and air pollution. Temperature affects sleep quality. People in cities lacking green spaces, who are already at risk for heart disease, have restless evenings.
Low-income Blacks have financial, nutritional, and housing challenges that postpone sleep. They work many jobs, making it hard to sleep regularly. More family members or high-density apartments may have less noise control. In a summer research, Johnson and two colleagues coined the term “sleep deserts.” Like food deserts, these areas have poor sleep. Sleep poverty “is not merely individual action,” according to Johnson. Context counts.
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Not As Simple As “Go Sleep More”
Sleep and cardiovascular health experts suggest ways to reduce structural racism’s insomniac consequences. Knutson says suggestions must be reasonable and effective. “Sleep more, exercise more, eat better’ isn’t enough,” Knutson adds. “Everyone’s priorities change every hour. Nobody sleeps enough. Priorities include paying bills and caring for kids.
Multidimensional sleep “gives us possibilities to improve sleep that isn’t just about quantity,” Knutson says. Can it be more consistent? Which sleep component may improve heart health? Many people sleep 5-6 hours. If so, she suggests getting regular sleep. This is important for individuals who work after hours, Hale says. She says that many people don’t feel safe wearing earplugs while sleeping for fear of not hearing an intruder. She suggests utilizing white noise to soften outdoor sounds, which can be controlled.
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Improving Environments & Communities
Increasing sleep to minimize CVD inequities requires economic and community improvements. Johnson says we must examine the context to reduce sleep inequities. She helps people improve their home’s insulation and ventilation to improve sleep and save money on heating and cooling. Educating more doctors of color and physicians about sleep might help heart-risk areas. In a basic care appointment, physicians concentrate on measurable, curable clinical issues like weight, high blood pressure, or diabetes rather than sleep; experts told STAT.
Millions of women might avoid cardiovascular illness with simple screenings. Researchers predict policy changes will influence sleep equity long-term. Johnson says that affects community structure and public health budgets. Stricter limits on air and noise pollution might improve sleep conditions, especially in heart disease-prone areas, even when donations weren’t about sleep. Community investment improves sleep, Hale and her colleagues found. People in a primarily Black and low-income region who lived near new community assets (such as a grocery store, park, or community center) slept better during a three-year period, according to 2021 Sleep research.
Hale says improving ecosystems and communities benefits people. Another policy is cautiously hopeful. Schools are starting later nationwide. Whether a high schooler arrives at 7:30 or 8:30 a.m. may not affect their cardiovascular disease risk decades later. Racial sleep disparities begin before adulthood and increase heart disease risks. Later start times improve pupils’ health and learning, which might lessen socioeconomic differences.
Health education involves encouraging people to listen, learn, and change their behavior, Hale adds. “When a structural state changes, [behavior] changes” – a rising tide lifts all ships regarding health disparities. National efforts may reduce sleep and heart health disparities. Johnson mentions minimum wage’s health advantages. They’d sleep better if folks could support their families with a single-day job.