Poor sleep hygiene is particularly detrimental to the heart health of Black Americans, warns a group of physicians and experts. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that 43.5% of Black adults get less than seven hours of sleep per night, compared to 30.7% of white adults. This lack of quality sleep can lead to or worsen health problems, many of which disproportionately affect Black people.
Cardiovascular health is a significant concern, with the Cleveland Clinic reporting that approximately 47% of Black adults have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, compared to 36% of white adults.
“Sleep is not like a bank account, where if you take out money, all you have to do is put it back, and all is good,” says Azizi Seixas, associate director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
We call it social jetlag,” the Black sleep expert added, “and what we have found is that it can cause accelerated aging … You can feel good cognitively if you pull an all-nighter. But you would have put a lot of miles on the car, so to speak, and you cannot reverse the odometer. You’ve just added miles that you didn’t need to.”
However, race isn’t the sole factor affecting sleep and heart health. The CDC also found that those with lower socio-economic status struggle more with sleep, indicating a broader health disparity issue.
“Bad sleep habits are bad for the heart, especially for Black people” on the The Grio website (January 31, 2024)
