It’s not everyday that you’re proved right by a scientific study, so allow me to bask in the glow for a moment …. ahhhh … okay.
MyBrownBaby.com had a great article about several research studies on Americans and sleep. The studies found that white woman got the most sleep of all genders and ethnicities and that Black men got the least amount. Even when the studies controlled for “education, income and employment status” Black folks got the least amount of sleep and the worst quality of sleep. They think that this might be because Black kids tend not to have a bedtime routine that gets their little minds and bodies ready to sleep. The routine of bath, lotion/massage, jammies, story helps the child unwind both physically and emotionally to be ready to have a restful sleep. That seems to be missing for many Black children.
These Black children with little or no bedtime routine grow up to be adults with little or no bedtime routine. Several different studies have shown that, in general, people of color tend to have higher stress than whites. A lot of stress with little bad-quality sleep equals heath issues.
I’m a HUGE fan of having a night-time routine and a stickler for doing things the same way every time. With kids, sometimes it’s a bit of a challenge but the more everyone in the family gets used to the routine the easier it will be to implement.
Nighty-night.
Parents of Color Seek Newborn to Adopt 