Promoting better sleep health among First Nations communities
10 Sep 2025
Professor Yaqoot Fatima is leading a groundbreaking program to enhance sleep health in First Nations communities, blending her expertise in epidemiology, sleep science, and pharmacy with a strong focus on community-driven research.
Professor Yaqoot Fatima, a Professor of Sleep Health at the University of the Sunshine Coast, is leading an innovative program to improve sleep among First Nations communities. She developed Let’s Yarn About Sleep, Australia’s first sleep health initiative designed in partnership with First Nations communities. The program combines cultural knowledge with evidence-based sleep science to address the unique needs of these communities.
Listening to communities
The program began with conversations with First Nations communities to understand their perspectives on sleep and identify local priorities. Using this input, Fatima co-designed the program for First Nations adolescents, ensuring it was culturally grounded while incorporating best practices from Western sleep science.
Culturally safe coaching
Six First Nations community members were trained as Sleep Coaches to deliver the program to 70 adolescents in the Mount Isa region. The training followed cultural protocols guided by community Elders, ensuring the program respected local traditions and knowledge.
Positive outcomes for young people
Participants showed improved understanding of healthy sleep, including how much sleep is needed and strategies for building better sleep routines. The program also led to longer, less disrupted sleep and better daytime rest. Early signs suggest it may help reduce stress and support emotional wellbeing.
Embedding First Nations leadership
The program integrates First Nations leadership at every stage—from content and research design to governance and dissemination. This approach ensures culturally safe, effective, and community-driven implementation. The program’s resources have been adopted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and other health services.
A broader understanding of sleep
Through this work, Fatima has highlighted that sleep is more than a biological process for First Nations communities. Dreaming is closely tied to culture, identity, creativity, and spiritual health. Research also shows that poor sleep affects physical health, emotional wellbeing, and social life, emphasizing that sleep should be a core component of health assessments and interventions.
Collaboration and support
MRFF funding has been key to enabling collaboration across community, academic, and advocacy sectors. The Let’s Yarn About Sleep research group now includes over 90 researchers, including 19 First Nations researchers, from 18 Australian universities. This funding has supported First Nations leadership throughout the research, enhancing the program’s quality, cultural integrity, and real-world relevance.
Professor Fatima credits First Nations communities for shaping the program’s success. “Their leadership, generosity, and guidance have strengthened the research and made it meaningful, grounded, and aligned with real-world priorities,” she says.
Source: Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
