The need to integrate spirituality into sleep medicine as a dimension of whole-person, person-centered care

Abstract

Sleep-an essential pillar of health-has historically been considered not only a biological phenomenon but also based on experiences interpreted through spiritual, moral, existential, and cultural frameworks worldwide [1-5].Across societies, dreams, nightmares, sleep paralysis, and nocturnal visions have frequently been attributed to soul journeys, spirits, precognitions, moral conflict, supernatural attack, and ancestors [2,[4][5][6]].Yet, contemporary sleep medicine remains predominantly grounded in biomedical models despite growing recognition of more holistic frameworks.For instance, Whole Person Health-developed by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health-adopts a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach that recognizes physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions of health and wellbeing are interconnected and can collectively shape health outcomes relevant to sleep [7].Religion and spirituality remain highly prevalent globally, with approximately 75.8% of the world's population affiliated with a religious tradition [8].Additionally, nearly one-quarter of the global population is religiously unaffiliated, yet many continue to identify as spiritual or endorse spiritual beliefs and practices despite lacking formal religious affiliation [9].Sleep-related spiritual experiences are also common; 53% of US adults report dream or other