The Economic Consequences of Increasing Sleep Among the Urban Poor

86 Pages Posted: 11 Feb 2020 Last revised: 30 Jan 2022

See all articles by Pedro Bessone

Pedro Bessone

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Gautam Rao

Harvard University - Department of Economics

Frank Schilbach

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Economics, Finance, Accounting (EFA)

Heather Schofield

Harvard University

Mattie Toma

University of Warwick

Date Written: February 2020

Abstract

The urban poor in developing countries face challenging living environments, which may interfere with good sleep. Using actigraphy to measure sleep objectively, we find that low-income adults in Chennai, India sleep only 5.5 hours per night on average despite spending 8 hours in bed. Their sleep is highly interrupted, with sleep efficiency—sleep per time in bed—comparable to those with disorders such as sleep apnea or insomnia. A randomized three-week treatment providing information, encouragement, and improvements to home sleep environments increased sleep duration by 27 minutes per night by inducing more time in bed. Contrary to expert predictions and a large body of sleep research, increased nighttime sleep had no detectable effects on cognition, productivity, decision-making, or well-being, and led to small decreases in labor supply. In contrast, short afternoon naps at the workplace improved an overall index of outcomes by 0.12 standard deviations, with significant increases in productivity, psychological well-being, and cognition, but a decrease in work time.

Suggested Citation

Bessone, Pedro and Rao, Gautam and Schilbach, Frank and Schofield, Heather and Toma, Mattie, The Economic Consequences of Increasing Sleep Among the Urban Poor (February 2020). NBER Working Paper No. w26746, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3535336

Pedro Bessone (Contact Author)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ( email )

77 Massachusetts Avenue
50 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
United States

Gautam Rao

Harvard University - Department of Economics ( email )

Littauer Center
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Frank Schilbach

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Economics, Finance, Accounting (EFA) ( email )

77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
United States

Heather Schofield

Harvard University ( email )

1875 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Mattie Toma

University of Warwick ( email )

Gibbet Hill Rd.
Coventry, CV4 8UW
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
106
Abstract Views
703
Rank
466,166
PlumX Metrics