Filipino Americans have the hardest time falling asleep

Maybe it's the guilt melded into Filipinos' by a strict religious upbringing, the anxiety caused by  an unpaid debt (utang na loob) or the burden of shame (hiya), but whatever the reason, a new study has found that among Asians, Filipinos have the hardest time falling asleep.

A study,  "Sleep disparities in Asian Americans: a comprehensive review" by the National Institute of Health indicated there were variations in sleep outcomes among individuals of Asian descent and living in the US.

“We found the highest burden of insufficient sleep among Filipinos and better sleep quality outcomes among Asian Indians compared to [non-Hispanic Whites.] By disaggregating NHS (Asian American) data, we identified significant differences in sleep outcomes among different (Asian American) populations.," say the study's authors.

The survey by the National Institute of Health among different Asian American groups looked at sleep duration, sleep quality, trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and sleep medication usage.

"This demonstrates the utility of disaggregating Asian American health outcomes in analyzing survey data to effectively focus public health efforts,” concluded the study authors.

Among participants in the Filipino group, the greatest predictors for insufficient sleep included severe psychological distress especially among those who were born outside of the US and those who have fair or poor health.

In contrast, among Asian Indians, the soundest sleepers, the greatest predictors for sufficient sleep included being a former smoker and being foreign-born and living in the US for less tthan 10 years.

Of participants in the White study group, 61.8% reported they had no trouble falling asleep, whereas 76.7% of those in the Asian Indian, 73.3% of those in the Chinese, and 71% in the other Asians groups reported they had no trouble falling asleep. Participants in the Filipino group reported similar rates (62.3%) as those in the White group.

Most aggregated studies find Asian American adults experiencing lower sleep duration and poorer sleep quality compared to non-Hispanic White Americans and comparable or slightly higher sleep duration compared to Black Americans.

Some of the findings include:

• First-generation immigrants report better sleep quality than subsequent generations.

• East Asian Americans may experience better sleep outcomes compared to Southeast Asian Americans.

• Obstructive sleep apnea is critically underreported in South Asian Americans.

Sleep disparities between Asian Americans and other racial groups are impacted by perceived discrimination, poor mental health, and cultural attitudes toward sleep. The observed within-group disparities of Asian American sleep may be attributed to socioeconomic status and generational status/acculturation.

While the study found the differences in sleep among Asian Americans, it did not delve into the cultural or societal causes for sleep differentials. The study's authors concluded that much more research is required in Asian American sleep disparities, specifically in South and Southeast Asian Americans.

Existing barriers to research include the model minority myth and lack of disaggregated racial sleep data.

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