Background: Sleep is important for children’s mental and physical health, yet U.S. Hispanic children experience disparities. Researchers recommend improved sleep hygiene practices to counteract the negative influence of discrimination on sleep quality. Few studies have explored the collective influence of parental support for sleep hygiene behavior and discrimination on the sleep quality of Hispanic children.

Methods: In Rhode Island, a sample of 74 children in grades 1-3 and their primary caregiver participated in an 7-day study. Surveys were completed by the caregiver and children’s sleep was measured using an actigraph. Independent t-tests and multiple linear regression were used to compare Hispanic and non-Hispanic families and examine the relationship between independent variables and sleep duration and efficacy.

Results: Statistically significant differences (p<.05) were found between Hispanic and non-Hispanic families with respect to parent age, sex, marital status, education, and income. There were no statistically significant differences in child demographics, discrimination, parental support for sleep behavior, or sleep quality. Interestingly, children from Hispanic families were less likely to meet recommended sleep duration guidelines (7.7% vs. 30.3% non-Hispanic).

Conclusion: Hispanic children had a higher likelihood of insufficient or excessive sleep compared to non-Hispanic children. There were no differences in subjective discrimination or parental support for sleep hygiene behaviors between groups. More research is needed to assess which factors have effects on sleep quality in children.