Religious and culturally conscious sleep care for Muslim patients: Clinical considerations and recommendations

The paper explores the impact of religious practices on sleep among Muslim patients and develops strategies for delivering religio-culturally conscious sleep care. We aim to enhance understanding among healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes through tailored sleep interventions. A quasi-scoping, narrative review of clinical perspectives, existing empirical studies, and patient-reported experiences from relevant literature, including empirical studies in PubMed, on the influence of Islamic practices such as the five daily prayers, Ramadan fasting, and Qailulah (midday naps) on sleep patterns was conducted. These practices were analyzed for their contribution to circadian misalignment, sleep deprivation, and alterations in sleep architecture. Strategies for integrating cultural and religious practices into sleep care are proposed, focusing on education, collaboration, and personalized care. Findings suggest that Islamic practices, such as early pre-dawn prayers, late-night worship, and fasting, can impact sleep architecture, reduce total sleep time, delay bedtimes, and increase daytime sleepiness, as well as contribute to reduced REM sleep and increased sleep latency during Ramadan, though evidence is mixed. Incorporating culturally relevant practices like Qailulah in a Muslim patient's sleep care can mitigate negative effects such as sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment. Additionally, adapting cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia to consider religious norms could be beneficial to Muslim patients. Religiously conscious sleep care may improve health outcomes for Muslim patients. Understanding Islamic practices allows healthcare providers to deliver effective, personalized sleep care interventions. Future efforts should focus on enhancing education, refining these strategies and examining their broader applicability, and conducting research on the cultural and religious determinants of sleep health.