Sleep Equity: A Global Call to Action for Healthier Lives

This year, World Sleep Day raises a powerful banner: “Sleep Equity for Global Health.”

This phrase carries a profound message. It is not just about everyone getting the same amount of sleep, but about ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve the healthy sleep they need.

Sleep disparities exist around the world. Many factors like work schedules, access to healthcare, and even the environment people live in, create barriers to quality sleep. Imagine a world where someone struggles to fall asleep because they work long, unpredictable hours. Or another who can’t afford a comfortable bed or lives in a noisy neighbourhood. Or a place with high exposure to artificial light at night. These are just some examples of how sleep equity gets disrupted.

Why does sleep equity matter for global health? Because sleep is just as crucial as good nutrition and exercise for our wellbeing. It impacts our physical and mental health. When we sleep well, we learn and remember better, fight off illness more effectively, and manage stress with greater ease. We are also more likely to engage in prosocial behaviours such as helping one another.

Chronic inadequate sleep, on the other hand, increases the risk for many physical illnesses including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, as well we mental conditions including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Unfortunately, research shows sleep health is not equally distributed across populations.