Sleep quality and memory performance in a lifespan sample of racially/ethnically diverse adults

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundWhile studies have shown that Non‐Latinx Black and Latinx adults sleep less and more poorly than Non‐Latinx White adults, the cognitive consequences of poor sleep in Non‐Latinx Black and Latinx adults are understudied. Moreover, it is unclear if negative factors that disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minorities, including discrimination, may result in racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between sleep and cognition. We hypothesized that poorer quality sleep and inadequate sleep duration (e.g., short or long sleep) is associated with poorer memory performance, and the strength of these associations would differ by racial/ethnic group.MethodOur analysis included non‐Latinx Black, non‐Latinx White, and Latinx participants across the adult lifespan recruited from the community of Northern Manhattan as a part of the Offspring study. Participants self‐reported their sleep duration and quality over the past month using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which we used to calculate global sleep quality. We evaluated memory with the Buschke Selective Reminding Task. We used general linear models to estimate mean differences in sleep duration and quality for racial/ethnic groups. We used multivariable regression to estimate relationships of sleep duration and quality with delayed recall in the total sample and stratified by racial/ethnic group. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and years of education.ResultBlack and Latinx adults reported lower sleep duration and poorer quality sleep than Non‐Latinx White adults. In the overall sample, higher quality sleep was associated with better delayed recall performance. We also found linear and quadratic relationships between sleep duration and delayed recall. Taken together, high quality sleep and adequate sleep duration was linked with better delayed recall. Stratified analyses revealed that these effects were strongest in the Latinx group and were not present among non‐Latinx Black and non‐Latinx White participants.ConclusionNon‐Latinx Black and Latinx adults report lower sleep duration and poorer sleep quality compared to Non‐Latinx White adults. We observed stronger associations between poor sleep quality and sleep duration and memory performance in Latinx adults. Future work will determine which psychosocial factors (e.g., social support, discrimination) underlie racial/ethnic sleep disparities and mediate racial/ethnic differences in the cognitive consequences of poor sleep.