One in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents struggle with poor sleep, yet their sleep health needs remains unmet. In collaboration with community members, the project team and partner organisations are working together to co-design a sleep health program and resources, build local capacity, and embed culturally responsive and context responsive sleep health care in preventive programs and health system to meet the sleep health needs of First Nations adolescents.

The factors driving sleep health inequity in First Nations communities are 1) lack of holistic sleep health programs and resources rooted in First Nations peoples’ knowledge and ways of life, and 2) local capacity and capability issues affecting culturally responsive sleep health care.

Responding to these unmet needs and service gaps, we have partnered with leading Australian organisations spanning preventive health (Beyond Blue, Sleep Heath Foundation), community health/school (Young People Ahead, Ngak Min Health) and the hospital sectors (Queensland Children's Hospital) to meet the sleep health needs of First Nations adolescents.

This partnership project will deliver four interconnected Work Programs to improve the sleep health of First Nations adolescents. The research team and partner organisations will work with community members to co-design a sleep health program for First Nations adolescents, "Sleep for Strong Souls" (3S program), train First Nations peoples as "Sleep Coaches", and embed culturally appropriate and context responsive sleep health care in preventive programs and Australian health system. The partnership work will result in empowering First Nations adolescents to embrace sleep health and equipping service providers with right tools to deliver culturally responsive sleep health care.

Given the cross-cutting impact of sleep on all aspects of life, investing in the sleep health of First Nations adolescents will lead to significant downstream improvement in not only their social and emotional wellbeing but overall health and productivity and help them live life to its fullest potential.

NHMRC Partnership Projects PRC1

2023 - 2026