Sleep Health. 2026 Sep 8:S2352-7218(26)00193-2. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2026.08.012. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Indigenous communities face disparities in sleep outcomes, which may contribute to broader health inequities. Existing reviews of Indigenous sleep health adopt a regional focus or limit attention to specific sleep disorders. The objective of this scoping review was to describe patterns of sleep problems and sleep health in Indigenous peoples globally. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to February 25, 2025. Any studies that described the prevalence of a sleep problem in an Indigenous sample were included. A total of 47 studies were included in the review, with sample size ranging from 50 to 810,168. Most studies were conducted in community settings (85%), with self-report questionnaires being the most common method used to assess sleep problems (83%). Prevalence estimates of sleep problems among Indigenous samples ranged widely, with Indigenous communities having generally higher prevalence of sleep problems relative to non-Indigenous comparator groups. Socioeconomic deprivation, housing conditions, mental health comorbidities, behavioral factors, and systemic barriers to health care access were consistently reported as factors associated with sleep health. The findings of this review highlight a disproportionate burden of sleep problems as well as sleep health disparities in Indigenous communities around the world. PROSPERO: CRD420251018819.
PMID:42711186 | DOI:10.1016/j.sleh.2026.08.012
