Did you know Black Americans get about one hour less sleep each night than white people? Less sleep means serious health problems - and shorter life spans. We dive into this shocking “racial sleep gap” with a leading authority on the subject, Dr. Dayna Johnson. She breaks down where it comes from (spoiler alert: it’s all about racism) - and what we need to do to fix it!
SHOW NOTES
Guest: Dr. Dayna Johnson
Dayna Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta. She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiologic Science from the University of Michigan. Dr. Johnson completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Her research explores the causes of sleep health disparities, especially those due to race and gender.
- Dr. Dayna Johnson’s home page
- From Tricia Hersey (AKA the “Nap Bishop”):
- "No More Grind”: her podcast interview about rest as resistance
- Her manifesto, Rest Is Resistance
- Great article: “Reparations for Black People Should Include Rest”
HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE:
[0:55] Tony & Adam on the “racial sleep gap”
[9:52] Societal racism as root cause of the sleep gap
[14:42] How individual racism impacts Black people’s sleep
[16:48] Why Black people with more income and education often get less sleep
[26:25] How Black trauma can cause lifelong sleep problems
[33:51] Ideas on reparations for Black Americans’ sleep
[48:51] Tony’s call to action for Black listeners
Contact Tony & Adam
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