Sleep duration, sleep quality, and sexual orientation: findings from the 2013-2015 National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

IntroductionThis study identifies associations between sleep outcomes and sexual orientation net of sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, and produces estimates generalizable to the US adult population. Participants/methodsWe used 2013-2015 National Health Interview Survey data (46,909 men; 56,080 women) to examine sleep duration and quality among straight, gay/lesbian, and bisexual US adults. Sleep duration was measured as meeting National Sleep Foundation age-specific recommendations for hours of sleep per day. Sleep quality was measured by 4 indicators: having trouble falling asleep, having trouble staying asleep, taking medication to help fall/stay asleep (all ≥4 times in the past week), and having woken up not feeling well rested (≥4 days in the past week). ResultsIn the adjusted models, there were no differences by sexual orientation in the likelihood of meeting National Sleep Foundation recommendations for sleep duration. For sleep quality, gay men were more likely to have trouble falling asleep, to use medication to help fall/stay asleep, and to wake up not feeling well rested relative to both straight and bisexual men. Gay/lesbian women were more likely to have trouble staying asleep and to use medication to help fall/stay asleep relative to straight women. Finally, bisexual women were more likely to have trouble falling and staying asleep relative to straight women. ConclusionsSexual minority women and gay men report poorer sleep quality compared with their straight counterparts.