Sleep Insufficiency among Adolescents in Africa: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Sleep insufficiency (SI) among adolescents is a global public health concern, but its prevalence and impact on African  adolescents remain poorly understood. Extensive research has been conducted on SI in developed countries, but there is a lack of  knowledge about its occurrence and consequences in Africa.

 Objective: This study aims to thoroughly review existing literature on sleep  insufficiency among African adolescents to determine the extent of SI, its health implications, and its economic burden.

Methods: A  systematic search was performed in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, and Sabinet (African Journals) from the inception of  these databases until February 14, 2023. The search terms used included "insufficient sleep," "sleep loss," "sleep disorders,"  "adolescents," "youth" aged 12-17 years, and "Africa." Only five of the 15 eligible full-text studies identified met the inclusion criteria and  were included in this review.

Results: The available studies on SI among African adolescents were limited, but all the included studies  reported a high prevalence of SI in this population. Factors associated with SI in Africa included nighttime use of electronic gadgets, co-sleeping with siblings, and nightmares. No intervention or treatment studies for SI among African adolescents were found, and none of the studies explored the  health consequences or estimated the economic burden of this condition.

Conclusion: There needs to be more research on sleep insufficiency among African adolescents, with limited information regarding its  prevalence, health implications, and economic burden. Further studies are necessary to address this knowledge gap, which can  contribute to policymaking and developing accessible and cost-effective interventions to manage sleep insufficiency in this population.