Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness important for ongoing wellbeing of unpaid carers

Carers Australia welcomes the release of the House of Representatives Committee’s Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia as an important step towards including sleep as a chief contributor to overall wellbeing.

‘We know that the sleep deprivation experienced by many family and friend carers negatively impacts their own health and wellbeing, not to mention their ability to sustain unpaid care,’ said Ara Cresswell, CEO of Carers Australia.

‘The provision of unpaid care to a family member or friend is often a full-time commitment undertaken by carers to the exclusion of their own wellbeing, and the extent to which constant sleep interruption negatively affects carers is worrying.

‘Nearly half of all primary carers have reported interrupted sleep, which was identified as having the single biggest negative impact on the wellbeing of carers.’[i]

To provide valuable insight into this problematic area, Carers Australia has partnered with the Sleep Health Foundation to conduct research into the many issues which stem from sleep deprivation and its impact on family and friend carers.

‘We’re delighted that there is increasing recognition of sleep as being equally important to overall health as nutrition and fitness and we welcome this spotlight on what is an area of increasing concern,’ said Ms Cresswell.

/Public Release.