Parent ethnic-racial socialization during childhood protects against increases in bedtime sleep problems in Black adolescents.

Abstract

Racial disparities in sleep have been reported with Black adolescents showing the least amount of sleep relative to other youth. Yet, few within-group studies have examined factors that protect Black adolescents from sleep problems. To address this gap, we tested whether parent ethnic-racial socialization (i.e., instilling a sense of cultural and racial pride) at fourth grade moderated the associations between bedtime sleep problems at third and sixth grade. Using data from a sample of Black parents and children who participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 173), we found that for children with low, but not high, parent ethnic-racial socialization at fourth grade bedtime problems increased from third and sixth grade. We discuss these findings within the existing parent ethnic-racial socialization and sleep literatures and how they further our understanding of the protective effects of parent ethnic-racial socialization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).