Sleep Health: Why Black People Should Be Tracking Their Sleep

NewsOne Featured Video Source: da-kuk / Getty How often do you take your sleep into account when thinking about your health? Conversations about sleep health aren’t typical dinner discussions among Black people, but they should be. Sleep is a vital component to a person’s well-being, and it can be affected by so much of your surroundings.  The narrative around the importance of sleep in the Black community is almost nonexistent, but the disparities are loud and clear. According to recent studies, Black people have shown disproportionately higher rates of sleep disorders than any other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. These disorders include sleep apnea, insomnia, more light and less deep sleep, delayed onset, more daytime sleepiness, shorter sleep duration and many others.  Unfortunately, the disparities are also in the numbers. Experts say a lack of diversity in clinical trials makes it hard to come up with macro-level solutions to solve the disparities in sleep health. Sleep has never been something that has come easily to Black people. Historical and environmental factors like racism, structural biases, and living conditions have drastic impacts on sleep quality, but the conversation needs reshaping.  This starts with learning not only about the importance...