Does sleep quality differ across political parties? Results from a survey of Arizona adults

Abstract

Objectives: In this study, we explore the relationship between political party affiliation and sleep quality since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We analyze online survey data collected for a sample of adult residents of Arizona in February and March 2023 (N = 922). We fit ordered-logistic regression models to examine how party affiliation and changes to one's personal life due to the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with the self-reported frequency of sleep difficulty.

Results: Compared to Republicans, Democrats and Independents report significantly worse sleep quality, net of the influence of sociodemographic controls. Additionally, having experienced major changes to one's personal life due to the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly associated with more frequent trouble sleeping for Democrats and Independents, but not for Republicans.

Conclusions: We document a partisan divide in sleeping patterns among adults in a swing state and highlight an underappreciated factor contributing to sleep health amidst heightened political polarization.

Keywords: COVID-19; Politics; Regression analysis; Sleep quality.