Transgender teens and young adults are four times more likely to develop sleep disorders compared to cisgender youth, according to a Michigan Medicine-led study.
Researchers analyzed claim data for over 1.2 million young people between the ages of 12 and 25.results published in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine Transgender youth were found to be 5.4 times more likely to have insomnia and three times more likely to have sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
Although sleep health in transgender and gender nonconforming young people is rarely examined, these results indicate a significant number of individuals with disorders that impair sleep quality, said the first author. says Ronald Gavidia, MD, MSis a sleep medicine physician in the Division of Sleep Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Health and an assistant professor of neurology at UM Medical School.
“Given the high prevalence of sleep disorders associated with cisgender youth, clinicians should consider screening and testing this population for such disorders.
Reports on transgender youth and adults show a high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms, which are known to affect sleep quality and health. We believe that health may contribute to the association between transgender and gender nonconforming identities and insomnia.
“Transgender and gender nonconforming identities may precede mental health disorders, and both may influence insomnia diagnoses,” senior author said Dr. Garit Levy Dunietz, M.P.H.is an epidemiologist in the Department of Sleep Medicine in the Department of Neurology and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at UM Medical School.
More than half of the transgender youth who participated in the study were receiving gender-affirming therapy. That group was half as likely to have a sleep disorder as transgender people who did not receive treatment.
The authors conclude that gender-affirmation therapy can prevent deterioration of sleep health caused by psychological stressors due to stigma and discrimination against the transgender community.
“Because of the two-way relationship between mood disorders and insomnia, affirmative gender reassignment improves mental health and reduces insomnia rates by improving gender dysphoria, bad moods, and stress in minorities. It’s possible,” Gavidia said.
The researchers say future studies should further investigate the burden of sleep disturbances before and after gender-affirmation therapy for these populations.
Other authors include Daniel G. Whitney, Ph.D., Shelley Hershner, MD, both Michigan medical schools, Ellen M. Selkie, MD, MPH, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Riva Tauman, MD, Tel Aviv Souraski Medical Center. , Sackler College of Medicine.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Equity and Inclusive Diversity Fund at the University of Michigan.
Papers Cited: “Gender Identity and Transsexuality: Relationships with Sleep Disorders in U.S. Youth. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.10158
