With use of a standardized algorithm to set rest intervals, scoring of actigraphy for the purpose of generating a wide array of sleep variables is highly reproducible.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly prevalent condition. A growing body of literature supports substantial racial disparities in the prevalence, risk factors, presentation, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Craniofacial structure among Asians appears to confer an elevated risk of OSA despite lower rates of obesity. Among African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics, OSA prevalence is increased, likely due in part to obesity. Burden of symptoms, particularly excessive daytime sleepiness, is higher among African Americans, though Hispanics more often report snoring. Limited data suggest African Americans may be more susceptible to hypertension in the setting of OSA. While differences in genetic risk factors may explain disparities in OSA burden, no definitive genetic differences have yet been identified. In addition to disparities in OSA development, disparities in OSA diagnosis and treatment have also been identified. Increased severity of disease at diagnosis among African Americans suggests a delay in diagnosis. Treatment outcomes are also suboptimal among African Americans. In children, tonsillectomy is less likely to cure OSA and more commonly associated with complications in this group. Among adults, adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is substantially lower in African Americans. The reasons for these disparities, particularly in outcomes, are not well understood and should be a research priority.

Sleep duration is highly variable among US Hispanic/Latinos, varying by Hispanic/Latino heritage as well as socioeconomic status. These differences may have health consequences given associations between sleep duration and cardiometabolic disease, particularly obesity.

Study Objectives: To evaluate whether an adverse neighborhood environment has higher prevalence of poor sleep in a US Hispanic/Latino population. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in 2156 US Hispanic/Latino participants aged 18-64 years from the Sueño ancillary study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Participants completed surveys of neighborhood environment including perceived safety, violence and noise, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and 7 days of wrist actigraphy. Results: In age and sex-adjusted analyses, short sleep, low sleep efficiency, and late sleep midpoint were all more prevalent among those living in an unsafe neighborhood. After adjustment for background, site, nativity, income, employment, depressive symptoms, and sleep apnea, the absolute risk of sleeping <6 hours was 7.7 (95% CI [0.9, 14.6]) percentage points greater in those living in an unsafe compared to a safe neighborhood. There were no differences in the prevalence of insomnia by level of safety or violence. Insomnia was more prevalent among those living in a noisy neighborhood. In adjusted analysis, the absolute risk of insomnia was 4.4 (95% CI [0.4, 8.4]) percentage points greater in those living in noisy compared to non-noisy neighborhoods. Conclusion: Using validated measures of sleep duration and insomnia, we have demonstrated the existence of a higher prevalence of short sleep and insomnia by adverse neighborhood factors. An adverse neighborhood environment is an established risk factor for a variety of poor health outcomes. Our findings suggest negative effects on sleep may represent one pathway by which neighborhood environment influences health.

Background Inadequate sleep quantity and quality are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. This relationship is not well-examined in US Hispanics/Latinos, and prior analyses may be confounded by sleep apnea. This cross-sectional study examined joint associations of sleep duration and insomnia with diabetes among diverse US Hispanic/Latinos. Methods Baseline data on sleep quantity and quality were obtained from 15227 participants (mean age 41; range 18–74 years) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Complex survey multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between prevalent diabetes and six phenotypes defined by cross-classifying sleep duration (short ≤6 h, average >6–9 h, long >9 h) and insomnia, adjusting for sex, age, site and Hispanic/Latino background interaction, education, physical activity, diet quality, and sleep apnea. Results In the weighted population, 14% had diabetes, 28% had insomnia, 9% were short sleepers, and 19% were long sleepers. Compared with those with average sleep and no insomnia, those with short sleep and insomnia were more likely to have diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02, 2.11). Average sleepers with insomnia (1.28; 95% CI 1.02, 1.61) and long sleepers without insomnia (1.33; 95% CI 1.07, 1.65) also had elevated odds of diabetes. Further adjustment for body mass index attenuated associations, except with long sleep without insomnia. Conclusions Both decreased quantity and quality of sleep are associated with diabetes in Hispanic/Latinos, with the greatest odds among those with short sleep duration and insomnia. The association is largely explained by obesity.

There are important differences in actigraphically measured sleep across U.S. Hispanic/Latino heritages. Individuals of Mexican heritage have longer and more consolidated sleep, while those of Puerto Rican heritage have shorter and more fragmented sleep. These differences may have clinically important effects on health outcomes.

Study Objectives: We examined the association of sociocultural stress severity (i.e. acculturation stress, ethnic discrimination) and chronic stress burden with multiple dimensions of sleep in a population-based sample of US Hispanics/Latinos. We also explored whether employment status modified stress-sleep associations. Methods:We conducted survey linear regressions to test the cross-sectional association of sociocultural stress severity and stress burden with sleep dimensions using data collected between 2010 and 2013 from individuals who participated in both the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño and Sociocultural Ancillary studies (N = 1192).Results: Greater acculturation stress (B = 0.75, standard error [SE] = 0.26, p < .01) and chronic psychosocial stress burden (B = 1.04, SE = 0.18, p < .001) were associated with greater insomnia symptoms but were not associated with actigraphic measures of sleep. Ethnic discrimination was not associated with any of the sleep dimensions. The association of acculturation stress with insomnia severity was greater in unemployed (B = 2.06, SE = 0.34) compared to employed (B = 1.01, SE = 0.31) participants (p-interaction = .08).Conclusions: Acculturation stress severity and chronic stress burden are important and consistent correlates of insomnia, but not actigraphically measured sleep dimensions. If replicated, future research should test whether interventions targeting the resolution of sociocultural stress improve sleep quality in Hispanics/Latinos.

We performed a randomized trial of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) versus laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) for patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypothesizing that residual disease (effective apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]) (1-3) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores would be significantly lower with LGB compared with CPAP at 9 and 18 months. Approval was obtained from the institutional review boards at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01187771). All participants gave written informed consent.The inclusion criteria were age 18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) 35-45 kg/m 2 , severe OSA (AHI > 30 events/h [level 1 study] or AHI > 20 events/h [level 3 study]), and at least one OSA symptom. The exclusion criteria were prior CPAP or bariatric surgery, hypoventilation syndrome, increased perioperative risk, drowsy driving, non-English fluency, or any unstable medical condition. Suitability for both treatments, as well as the equipoise of each patient, was established by a sleep specialist and bariatrician before consent was obtained.Patients underwent attended polysomnography using the Compumedics E-Series at baseline, 9 months, and 18 months.Randomization was stratified by recruitment clinic, baseline BMI (35-40 or 40-45 kg/m 2 ), and sex. Sequences had block sizes of two and four, with a 50% chance of choosing either one.