Assessing Sleep Architecture in Rural Eastern Cape Villagers of South Africa Using ŌURA Ring Data

OBJECTIVES: To examine the sleep architecture (proportion of Light, Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and Deep Sleep) of rural villagers using noninvasive, wearable ŌURA rings. METHODS: From June to August 2023, we collected sleep data from 30 participants (16 men, 14 women, 370 nights) using ŌURA rings. Regression models were used to investigate the effect of gender, age, household size, livestock presence, and temperature on sleep patterns and sleep architecture. RESULTS: Average Total Sleep Time (TST) in the community was 7.6 h (SD: 1.01). Average proportion (%) Light Sleep was 59.9%, % REM Sleep was 17.9%, and % Deep Sleep was 22.2%. Men who cared for livestock had significantly higher % Light Sleep and lower % REM sleep compared to men who did not have livestock. Presence of livestock did not significantly affect men or women's % Deep Sleep. Temperature was positively associated with % Light and negatively associated with % REM and % Deep Sleep. CONCLUSIONS: We found that men who were responsible for livestock tended to have more % Light Sleep and less % REM Sleep than men without livestock. Livestock presence did not affect women's % Light or REM sleep stages, and % Deep Sleep remained unchanged between groups. Temperature was associated with changes in all sleep stages. Our findings highlight the need for naturalistic studies investigating sleep architecture in non-industrialized settings.