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Our story
Let’s Yarn About Sleep began as a ground-up movement on Kalkadoon Country in Mount Isa, with a simple but powerful idea- that better sleep can lead to better health, and that lasting change starts with listening to community voices and needs.
In Australian First Nations communities, to “yarn” means more than talking - it’s a respectful and culturally grounded way of sharing stories, building relationships, and exchanging knowledge. Guided by this approach, Let’s Yarn About Sleep brings together communities, researchers, and health professionals to co-design culturally-responsive sleep health programs, tools, and resources.
From small beginnings to national impact
The program began in 2019, with $13,000 in seed funding from a JCU Rising Star Grant. Our first major grant in 2020 ( MRFF Indigenous Health Grant) focused on the Kalkadoon Community (Mount Isa) in North West Queensland.
Since then, Let’s Yarn About Sleep has grown into a national collaboration reaching 20 communities across Queensland, the Northern Territory, and South Australia. We now work alongside:
- 70+ researchers from 14 leading Australian universities
- 25+ partner organisations, including community-controlled health services and research institutes
- Together, we have secured over $12 million in funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, Beyond Blue, and other partners across eight major grants.
Our approach
- Co-design sleep health programs with and for community
- Build and support a local sleep health workforce
- Develop new service delivery models suited to rural and remote settings
- Embed sleep into preventive and primary health care
By privileging First Nations worldviews and investing in local capacities, we’re laying the path toward sleep health equity, ensuring all Australians have the opportunity for healthy sleep, wellbeing, and connection.
Ways of working
Our ways of working are rooted in truth, respect, and strong partnerships. We are committed to culturally safe, community-led co-design approaches that honour First Nations knowledges, build trust, and develop sustainable solutions to promote sleep health equity.
Our journey so far
Our work has been recognised with six national awards and featured in over 600 media stories, including TV, radio, and an SBS documentary highlighting community-led solutions.
But our greatest achievements are shared- in the growing networks of local champions, families, and young people who are helping reshape the way we talk about, understand, and improve sleep.
At its heart, Let’s Yarn About Sleep is about listening, learning, and walking together- creating healthier futures for all Australians, one good night’s sleep at a time.
