For years, John Donovan grappled with sleepless nights, often staying awake until the early hours of the morning, wrestling with anger and occasional bouts of violence upon waking. Hailing from Kalkadoon in Mount Isa, this teenager’s struggle with sleep began to take a toll on his schoolwork and relationships with teachers.
John attributed his sleep issues to overcrowding, an uncomfortable sleeping environment, and an excess of screen time, all of which hindered his ability to fall asleep. He recounted, “I used to sleep in any room in the house because my room was the spare room.” When he did sleep in his designated space, it was far from comfortable due to the absence of sheets, a result of his hectic schedule.
In a groundbreaking initiative, John became one of the participants in an Australian-first Indigenous sleep trial, known as the Let’s Yarn About Sleep (LYAS) program. Spearheaded by the University of Queensland (UQ), this innovative program harmonizes Western scientific principles with Aboriginal cultural wisdom to enhance the sleep health of young First Nations individuals.
The primary objective of LYAS is to equip young Indigenous people with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand the spiritual, mental, and physical significance of quality sleep and to empower them to implement this understanding in their daily lives.
John, now 14, proudly stands among the first cohort of graduates from the LYAS program. The transformative impact on his life is evident. He exclaimed, “I sleep in a very comfortable situation now,” emphasizing his newfound commitment to maintaining a clean and cozy sleeping environment, complete with fresh, clean sheets. Significantly, he has also relocated his phone across the room, distancing it from his sleeping area.
The positive changes in his sleep patterns have translated into a tangible shift in his academic performance and behavior at school. John Donovan no longer finds himself in trouble, a testament to the profound impact of the UQ-led LYAS program on the lives of young Indigenous Australians seeking to improve their sleep and overall well-being.
