Sleep and mental wellbeing are key public health concerns for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand, with Māori and Pacific youth facing significantly higher rates of mental health challenges. Sleep may be a contributing factor to these inequities, with research showing poorer sleep quality and wellbeing among Māori and Pacific students compared to their peers. The Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) longitudinal study offers a unique opportunity to explore how early sleep patterns influence mental health outcomes across childhood, particularly for Māori and Pacific tamariki.

This project investigates how basic sleep patterns—duration, timing, and location—from early childhood predict anxiety, depression, and positive wellbeing outcomes at age 12. It considers how cultural practices, such as co-sleeping and extended family arrangements, as well as structural issues like household crowding, shape sleep experiences and influence mental health. By focusing on sleep as a potentially modifiable factor, this research aims to generate culturally grounded, policy-relevant evidence that can support interventions targeting mental health disparities. The study aligns closely with GUiNZ’s mission to improve child wellbeing, making use of its longitudinal, ethnically diverse data to produce actionable findings. Through this work, we hope to provide meaningful benefits for Māori and Pacific young people and their whānau by identifying sleep as a valuable target for improving mental health outcomes and promoting equity in Aotearoa.

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