Sociodemographic differences in young adult actigraphic sleep among a diverse, national sample: the Future of Families Young Adult Sleep Study

Study Objectives: Sleep health is essential for wellbeing, yet few studies examine sociodemographic differences among young adults using objective sleep measures. We examined sociodemographic differences in actigraphic sleep health among a national, diverse sample of several hundred young adults. Methods: Data from the Young Adult Sleep Sub-Study were collected during year 22 (mean age=22.1±0.3 years; range 21.6–24.4) of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n=442), a national, diverse sample of US-based young adults. Participants wore wrist-actigraphs for ~2 weeks. Multivariable linear regression models assessed whether sex, race, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, education level, and employment status (simultaneously adjusted) were associated with dimensions of actigraphic sleep health. Results: In adjusted models, women had longer total sleep time (TST), earlier sleep onset, and less weekend night catchup sleep than men. Black young adults had shorter TST, later sleep onset, more variability in nighttime TST, in sleep onset, and in sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep regularity index (SRI) than White young adults. Young adults with a lower education level had greater variability in nighttime TST and in sleep timing and lower SRI than those with a higher education level. Young adults who were unemployed had later sleep timing, lower SRI, and less weekend night catchup sleep than those employed full-time. Conclusions: Male sex, Black race, lower education level, and unemployment are associated with poorer actigraphic sleep health among this sample of young adults. Strategies to improve young adult sleep health should specifically prioritize men, marginalized populations, and those of lower socioeconomic status.