Timing, quality, and physiology of sleep in a deprived rural community cohort in South Africa and their relationship with HIV and non-communicable diseases

Investigators: A/Prof Gómez-Olivé, Prof von Schantz, Dr Scheuremaier, A/Prof Dale Rae

The sleep habits we observe today among the general population are understood to be influenced by societal and environmental factors such as needing to be at school or work at set times, commuting time, artificial light-at-night in our cities and homes, the distraction of electronic devices and their associated social platforms. Looking at the sleep patterns in a rural community, where not all homes are electrified, for example, allows for insight to pre-industrialised sleep patterns and associations with HIV, obesity, hypertension and diabetes.