Are black women getting enough sleep at night? Adult sleep needs can range from 7 to a whopping 9 hours at night according to the National Sleep Foundation. In the NSF’s 2010 Sleep In America poll African-Americans reported needing 7 hours and 5 minutes of sleep each night to perform, however Blacks polled got the least amount of sleep — 6 hours and 14 minutes — on weekdays.
Sleep habits may be an underlying cause in African-American health problems. The National Sleep Foundation notes:
“The finding that Blacks/African-Americans say they need less sleep and get less sleep is instructive for public health professionals,” says Jose S. Loredo, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. “Their total sleep time and attitudes regarding sleep may be associated with Blacks/African-Americans’ higher rates of sleep apnea, hypertension and diabetes and provide sleep-related insight into how to improve awareness and education programs and, very importantly, how to improve therapy compliance rates.”
Read on for tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep.
