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Abstract Purpose of ReviewWe highlight evidence within the last 5 years of racial and ethnic differences in sleep-memory associations and explore potential causes and treatments of poor sleep in minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Recent FindingsEmerging research suggests that memory performance in Black adults may be more sensitive to sleep quality than in White adults. Sleep quality and sleep duration are also associated with memory performance in other minoritized racial and ethnic groups, including Asian and Hispanic adults. However, comparisons between groups are scarce. SummaryPoor sleep is associated with poor memory outcomes in minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Social determinants of health, including racism-related stress, discrimination, and neighborhood conditions, may contribute to these associations. More experimental and epidemiology research is needed to fully understand the relationship between sleep and memory performance in minoritized racial and ethnic groups. We conclude with suggested future directions for sleep and memory research. 

Introduction Stress in relation to the Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic (i.e., COVID-19, COVID stress) may be linked with poor sleep quality. The association between stress that is specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and sleep quality has been understudied, particularly in racially diverse people across the adult lifespan. Here, we investigated self-reported sleep quality in relation to COVID stress and factors that may protect against experiencing poor sleep quality from high COVID stress, including social support and religiosity. Method We recruited non-Hispanic Black ( n = 73) and non-Hispanic White ( n = 178) participants across the adult lifespan (18–76 years) using an online, cross-sectional design during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2021–June 2021). We asked participants to report information regarding demographics (age, race/ethnicity, years of education), sleep (sleep quality, sleep habits), and positive (social support, religious activities) and negative (events of discrimination, depression, general stress, COVID stress) psychosocial factors. Results Across age and racial groups, better sleep habits were associated with better sleep quality, and higher COVID stress was linked to poorer sleep quality. Black participants reported higher quality sleep than White participants ( p = 0.006). They also endorsed greater private and internal religiosity ( p’s < 0.001). Across racial groups, moderation analyses revealed a protective effect of religiosity against poor sleep ( p’s < 0.006). Specifically, individuals with high religious activity and high COVID stress did not experience poor sleep quality, but individuals with low religious activity and high COVID stress demonstrated poor sleep quality. These results remained significant when controlling for general stress. Discussion Protective factors, such as religiosity, may mitigate the negative associations between high COVID stress and poor sleep quality.