Defining culturally responsive sleep health care through Australian First Nations leadership

Bushra Nasir; Roslyn Von Senden; Wayne Williams; Timothy C. Skinner; Romola S. Bucks; Yaqoot Fatima

doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2026.101854

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Defining culturally responsive sleep health care through Australian First Nations leadership

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Defining culturally responsive sleep health care through Australian First Nations leadership

Bushra Nasir, Roslyn Von Senden, Wayne Williams, Timothy C. Skinner, Romola S. Bucks and Yaqoot Fatima

The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific, Vol.69, pp.1-3

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2026.101854

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Abstract

Sleep is often framed as a universal biological necessity, yet there is no universally accepted definition of sleep health. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter respectfully referred to as First Nations peoples), the concept of sleep health is shaped by cultural knowledges, spiritual connections, and, regrettably, by histories of displacement, ongoing inequities, and intergenerational trauma. For many First Nations peoples, healthy sleep extends beyond rest and restoration. Sleep, particularly dreaming, is an opportunity to connect with ancestors, gain inspiration for art, songs, and dances, and strengthen connections with culture and traditions. Sleep health is deeply intertwined with connection to Country, kinship systems, and collective wellbeing. Despite this, mainstream sleep science continues to privilege Western biomedical norms while overlooking the cultural, social, and environmental contexts that shape how First Nations communities understand and experience sleep health. This gap has real consequences: limiting the relevance of sleep research; constraining clinical practice; and perpetuating inequities in sleep health and associated outcomes for First Nations peoples.

Details

Title: Defining culturally responsive sleep health care through Australian First Nations leadership
Authors: Bushra Nasir (Corresponding Author) - The University of Queensland
Roslyn Von Senden - University of the Sunshine Coast
Wayne Williams - University of the Sunshine Coast
Timothy C. Skinner - Deakin University
Romola S. Bucks - The University of Western Australia
Yaqoot Fatima - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific, Vol.69, pp.1-3
Publisher: The Lancet Publishing Group
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2026.101854
ISSN: 2666-6065
Copyright note: (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
Grants: Sleep for Strong Souls (3S): Multisectoral partnership and co-designed solutions to improve the sleep health of First Nations Adolescents, 2017496, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - NHMRC
Obstructive sleep apnoea diagnosis and management in First Nations communities: community co-design, local capacity building and place-based models for sustainable success, MRF2022971, Department of Health and Aged Care (Australia, Canberra)
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Thompson Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991225023802621
Output Type: Journal article

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