IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v79y2013icp31-39.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sleep budgets in a globalizing world: Biocultural interactions influence sleep sufficiency among Egyptian families

Author

Listed:
  • Worthman, Carol M.
  • Brown, Ryan A.

Abstract

Declines in self-reported sleep quotas with globalizing lifestyle changes have focused attention on their possible role in rising global health problems such as obesity or depression. Cultural factors that act across the life course and support sleep sufficiency have received scant attention, nor have the potential interactions of cultural and biological factors in age-related changes in sleep behavior been systematically investigated. This study examines the effects of cultural norms for napping and sleeping arrangements along with sleep schedules, age, and gender on sleep budgets among Egyptian households. Data were collected in 2000 from 16 households with 78 members aged 3–56 years at two sites in Egypt (Cairo and an agrarian village). Each participant provided one week of continuous activity records and details of each sleep event. Records showed that nighttime sleep onsets were late and highly variable. Napping was common and, along with wake time flexibility, played a key role in maintaining sleep sufficiency throughout the life course into later middle age. Cosleeping was prevalent and exhibited contrasting associations with reduced duration and sufficiency of both nocturnal and total sleep, and with earlier, more regular, and less disrupted sleep. Daily sleep quotas met published guidelines and showed age-related changes similar to existing reports, but differed in how they were achieved. Cultural norms organizing sleep practices by age and gender appear to tap their intrinsic biological properties as well. Moreover, flexibility in how sleep was achieved contributed to sleep sufficiency. The findings suggest how biocultural dynamics can play key roles in sleep patterns that sustain favorable sleep quotas from infancy onwards in populations pursuing globalizing contemporary lifestyles.

Suggested Citation

  • Worthman, Carol M. & Brown, Ryan A., 2013. "Sleep budgets in a globalizing world: Biocultural interactions influence sleep sufficiency among Egyptian families," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 31-39.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:79:y:2013:i:c:p:31-39
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612003437
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stella Chatzitheochari & Sara Arber, 2009. "Lack of sleep, work and the long hours culture: evidence from the UK Time Use Survey," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(1), pages 30-48, March.
    2. Gershuny, Jonathan, 2000. "Changing Times: Work and Leisure in Postindustrial Society," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198287872.
    3. Ignace Glorieux & Joeri Minnen, 2009. "How many days? A comparison of the quality of time-use data from 2-day and 7-day diaries," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(2), pages 314-327, September.
    4. John P. Robinson & William Michelson, 2010. "Sleep as a victim of the “time crunch” – A multinational analysis," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 7(1), pages 61-72, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gettler, Lee T. & Samson, David R. & Kilius, Erica & Sarma, Mallika S. & Ouamba, Yann R. & Miegakanda, Valchy & Boyette, Adam H. & Lew-Levy, Sheina, 2022. "Links between household and family social dynamics with sleep profiles among BaYaka foragers of the Congo Basin," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    2. Panter-Brick, Catherine & Eggerman, Mark, 2018. "The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 233-239.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stella Chatzitheochari & Kimberly Fisher & Emily Gilbert & Lisa Calderwood & Tom Huskinson & Andrew Cleary & Jonathan Gershuny, 2018. "Using New Technologies for Time Diary Data Collection: Instrument Design and Data Quality Findings from a Mixed-Mode Pilot Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 379-390, May.
    2. Lamia Kandil & Hélène Perivier, 2017. "La division sexuée du travail dans les couples selon le statut marital en France - une étude à partir des enquêtes emploi du temps de 1985-1986, 1998-1999, et 2009-2010," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2017-03, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    3. Fischer, Ilan & Sullivan, Oriel, 2007. "Evolutionary modeling of time-use vectors," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 120-143, January.
    4. Booth, A.L. & van Ours, J.C., 2007. "Job Satisfaction And Family Happiness : The Part-Time Work Problem," Discussion Paper 2007-69, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    5. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/8651 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/8642 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Burda, Michael & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Weil, Philippe, 2012. "Total work and gender: Facts and possible explanations," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2012-007, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    8. Cécile Brousse, 2015. "La vie quotidienne en France depuis 1974. Les enseignements de l'enquête Emploi du temps," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 478(1), pages 79-117.
    9. Laura Langner, 2022. "Desperate Housewives and Happy Working Mothers: Are Parent-Couples with Equal Income More Satisfied throughout Parenthood? A Dyadic Longitudinal Study," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 36(1), pages 80-100, February.
    10. Rickard Eriksson & Magnus Nermo, 2010. "Care for Sick Children as a Proxy for Gender Equality in the Family," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(3), pages 341-356, July.
    11. Naomi Friedman-Sokuler & Claudia Senik, 2022. "Time-Use and Subjective Well-Being: Is there a Preference for Activity Diversity?," PSE Working Papers halshs-03828272, HAL.
    12. Manfred Garhammer, 2002. "Pace of Life and Enjoyment of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 217-256, September.
    13. John Robinson & Steven Martin, 2009. "Changes in American Daily Life: 1965–2005," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 47-56, August.
    14. Frank Stafford, 2009. "Emerging Modes of Timeline Data Collection: Event History Calendar Time Diary and Methods," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 69-76, August.
    15. Merz, Joachim, 2009. "Time Use and Time Budgets – Improvements, Future Challenges and Recommendations," MPRA Paper 16304, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Yuta Masuda & Lea Fortmann & Mary Gugerty & Marla Smith-Nilson & Joseph Cook, 2014. "Pictorial Approaches for Measuring Time Use in Rural Ethiopia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 467-482, January.
    17. Dominique Anxo & Letizia Mencarini & Ariane Pailhe & Anne Solaz & Maria Letizia Tanturri & Lennart Flood, 2011. "Gender Differences in Time Use over the Life Course in France, Italy, Sweden, and the US," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 159-195.
    18. Bojan Đerčan & Dragica Gatarić & Milka Bubalo Živković & Marija Belij Radin & Danijela Vukoičić & Bojana Kalenjuk Pivarski & Tamara Lukić & Petar Vasić & Milena Nikolić & Miloš Lutovac & Milena Lutova, 2023. "Evaluating Farm Tourism Development for Sustainability: A Case Study of Farms in the Peri-Urban Area of Novi Sad (Serbia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-21, August.
    19. Jiri Zuzanek, 2009. "Time use research in Canada – History,critique, perspectives," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(2), pages 178-192, September.
    20. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/8642 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Jose Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal & Almudena Sevilla, 2014. "Total work time in Spain: evidence from time diary data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(16), pages 1894-1909, June.
    22. J. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina, 2016. "Commuting Time And Household Responsibilities: Evidence Using Propensity Score Matching," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 332-359, March.
    23. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/8651 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, Jose Alberto, 2015. "Health status and the allocation of time: Cross-country evidence from Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 188-203.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:79:y:2013:i:c:p:31-39. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.