0358 Sleep Among Transgender and Cisgender Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep problems are germane to the majority of ado- lescents, but stigmatized youth may experience poorer sleep than those who have not experienced stigma. However, no prior studies have examined sleep among transgender adolescents (TGAs). Investigating these sleep disparities is critical, since low sleep dur- ation and poor sleep quality are predictive of depressive symptoms and suicidality among adolescents, two mental health outcomes experienced disproportionately by TGAs. Using a nationwide survey of adolescents, we examined sleep duration, sleep quality, and rates of insufficient sleep among a sample of adolescents, and we compared those parameters between TGAs and cisgender ado- lescents (CGAs). Methods: Adolescents (n=1784) ages 14-18 completed an an- onymous survey including measures of sleep, sexual and gender identity, depressive symptoms, and demographic variables. Participants were grouped as TGA or CGA. Unadjusted associ- ations between gender identity and sleep outcomes were examined, followed by multivariate regression models examining associations adjusted for demographics and depressive symptoms. Results: TGAs reported sleeping fewer hours, higher odds of being a ‘poor sleeper’, and lower odds of getting the right amount of sleep and getting ‘enough sleep’ than CGAs. After adjusting for key demographic variables, TGAs were still more likely to report that they were poor sleepers and less likely to report getting enough sleep compared to CGAs. When adding depressive symptoms as a covariate, the finding that TGAs reported they got enough sleep less often than CGAs remained marginally significant. Conclusion: Transgender adolescents reported receiving poorer sleep than cisgender adolescents. Future studies should focus on longitudinally examining the emergence of sleep problems among TGAs and CGAs, which may also serve to identify specific biopsychosocial pathways that contribute to heightened risk for sleep problems among TGAs. Sleep disparities may be a promising target for prevention and intervention programs to improve health outcomes