United States-based Nigerian sleep scientist, Jesujoba Olanrewaju, has warned that sleep deficiency among Nigerians is contributing to rising cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and death.
Olanrewaju, a doctoral researcher of Psychology at North Dakota State University in U.S., said a 2024 study of over 1,000 Nigerian adults showed most Nigerians scored just above 50 per cent on standard sleep health metrics.
According to him, majority of Nigerians do not sleep seven to nine hours necessary for optimal health, warning poor sleep habits could have long-term health consequences.
Presenting his findings at international conferences, Olanrewaju noted disparities in sleep health.
He noted that darker sleep environments were paradoxically linked to poorer sleep outcomes—an outcome he attributed to safety concerns, poverty, irregular power, and others which heighten stress and disrupt sleep.
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Olanrewaju emphasised the importance of treating sleep as essential to wellbeing—on par with food—and called on the Nigerian government to integrate sleep health into primary healthcare and national public health campaigns.
“Research conducted in 2024 across the country showed that Nigerian adults are not sleeping well, which is deeply concerning given the adverse health effects.
“Most concerning was the widespread failure to achieve the recommended 7-9 hours of nightly sleep essential for optimal health.”
Olanrewaju, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the World Sleep Society, the Nigerian Sleep Society, and the American Psychological Association whose research investigates sleep health in adults and seeks to promote positive health outcomes through behavioural sleep medicine, said both government and individual should take action to address this crisis.
“Governments should integrate sleep health into primary care and public health initiatives.”
“Individuals should also treat sleep indispensably as food. When people sleep better, they are happier, and healthier, and contribute more to economic progress. Society benefits when its members are well-rested.
“Sleep is a modifiable behaviour, implying that people can learn to improve it.
“Sleep interventions can benefit entire populations, ultimately leading to a healthier and more flourishing society.”
Olanrewaju noted that prioritising sleep health could be a cost-effective strategy for improving national health outcomes and economic productivity as communities grapple with the rise of non-communicable diseases.
