Australia is facing a silent public health crisis - and it's happening while we sleep.
A new report led by Flinders University reveals that despite growing evidence of the widespread impact of poor sleep, the issue continues to be overlooked in national health policy.
With up to 40% of Australians getting insufficient sleep, 10% living with chronic insomnia, and around 15% potentially affected by obstructive sleep apnoea, experts are calling for urgent action to address what they describe as an escalating national concern.
Released by the Network of Early Career Sleep Researchers in Training (NEST), a council of the Australasian Sleep Association (ASA), the report Waking Up to Australia's Sleep Health provides a detailed roadmap for bringing sleep to the forefront of Australia's health agenda.
It follows up on the 2019 Parliamentary Inquiry report Bedtime Reading: Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia and renews pressure on the Federal Government to implement its long-standing recommendations.
"We spend a third of our lives sleeping, yet sleep remains largely absent from Australia's health priorities," says lead author Dr Hannah Scott from the FHMRI Sleep Health group at Flinders University.
"Sleep should be treated with the same level of urgency and attention as nutrition and physical activity. The time to act is now."
The costs of poor sleep are not just personal - they are economic and systemic. Sleep-related health issues cost the Australian economy an estimated $75.5 billion in 2019-20, up from $66.3 billion just three years earlier. Experts warn the figure will continue to rise without decisive national intervention.
Beyond the dollars, the human toll is significant. Poor sleep is linked to a higher risk of chronic illness, mental health disorders, workplace accidents, and reduced quality of life.
Vulnerable populations - including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, shift workers, and those living in rural or remote areas - are disproportionately affected.
To address the crisis, the report outlines four priority actions:
- Declare sleep a national health priority
Introduce a 10-year National Sleep Health Strategy that formally recognises sleep as a critical pillar of chronic disease prevention and health equity.
- Launch a national sleep awareness campaign
Modelled after campaigns like "10,000 Steps," a wide-reaching initiative would promote sleep hygiene, reduce stigma around sleep disorders, and deliver culturally tailored education for high-risk groups.
- Improve training for health professionals
Despite sleep being essential to health, medical education in Australia allocates an average of just six hours to the topic. The report calls for accredited sleep health training across all healthcare disciplines to improve diagnosis and care.
- Increase investment in sleep research
While some progress has been made, critical gaps remain - particularly in understanding sleep disorders in underserved populations, children, and young adults. Sustainable research funding is essential to closing these knowledge gaps.
"This is a chance for Australia to lead globally on sleep health," says Dr Scott. "But we need coordinated leadership and serious investment to turn this around."
The report is an official position statement of the Australasian Sleep Association and will be used to support continued advocacy for policy change and investment.
With sleep playing a vital role in everything from mental wellbeing to physical health and workplace safety, experts say the time for delayed action is over.
"If we don't address this now, we risk falling further behind on a key health front," says Dr Scott.
"Australia cannot afford to keep hitting snooze on sleep."
Full list of collaborating institutions:
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute: Sleep Health, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
- Appleton Institute, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Queensland, Australia.
- Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
- Sleep and Circadian Research Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, New South Wales, Australia.
- Centre for Sleep Science, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia.
- Melius Consulting, Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia, Australia.
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia.
- Sleep/Wake Research Centre, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
