A new research in the Pacific is looking at how sleep can address youth mental health challenges.
New Pacific study explores bedtime habits
Pacific researcher Li’amanaia Dr Roannie Ng Shiu is co-leading a study into how sleep and circadian rhythms may address anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among Pacific youth.
Li’amanaia, who has been studying sleep for four years, told Pacific Waves, this latest research stemmed from a request from Samoa’s Ministry of Health.
“It came from the work that we had done previously on mental health prevalence in Pacific countries, and specifically in Samoa,” she said.
“We are aware of the high prevalence of mental health illness in Pacific young people, and so through this programme, we have been looking at ways in which we can really address this complex problem with some innovative solutions.”
Li’amanaia said parents and communities have told her that screen time, excessive exposure to artificial light and overcrowding in multi-generational households had the biggest negative effect on youth sleep.
Therefore, making better use of the early part of the day, with the morning light and its calming energy, is seen as a healthy practice for sleep patterns.
Li’amanaia said this has become a common practice in Samoa
“Young mothers have been using morning light helping with the sleep of the infants and children, which aligns well with the circadian systems practices that the University of Oxford and the University of Auckland have been working on for mental health and depression and anxiety in young people.”
She said the practice doesn’t have a traditional name but is entrenched in their way of life.
“When you go to Samoa, lots of people are getting up early to go where it’s a lot cooler to be walking early in the morning than it is any other part of the day.”
Li’amanaia said they are now looking for funding and writing grants to dig deeper into how this affects the mental wellbeing of Samoan youth.
“We have done the scoping to see whether Samoans wanted to focus on sleep and mental health.
“I think we had seen some benefits from young people in Australia and New Zealand, and wanted to see if we can scale those benefits up to the Pacific region and specifically Samoa.”
According to Li’amanaia, community buy-in in Samoa is overwhelming, despite initial hesitation.
“When we talked to them first about improving sleep for mental health and well-being, then parents, church ministers, and Sunday school teachers, and school teachers, they really loved this idea because then they could see the benefits not only in terms of good mental health and well-being, but also educational outcomes.”
Li’amanaia’s research will be central to a new TVNZ+ documentary series called Sleep, hosted by TV chef Al Brown, which she hopes will give those kids in Samoa exposure and create better mental health and wellbeing outcomes for them.
Sleep will be available for viewing on TVNZ+ from 14 September.
