You Can Solve a Lot of Problems With a Good Night’s Sleep

Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States and around the world, exerting profound impacts on sleep for people who are unhoused, with implications for health and cognition, whether in unsheltered or sheltered conditions. For those who are unsheltered, the additive impacts of extreme heat further disrupt sleep. Homeless shelters offer significant protection from environmental exposures, but the conditions of congregate shelters are not conducive to restful sleep. Technological innovations to improve sleep conditions for people with economic resources and stable environments are plentiful, but there is little innovation to improve sleep in homeless shelter environments. This technology gap invites exploration of a variety of individual and environmental technologies to address sleep disruption for vulnerable populations, including people staying in homeless shelters. Opportunities exist to address environmental conditions, trauma-informed approaches to sleep, and climate change mitigation with a research and innovation focus that incorporates equitable approaches to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, including the homeless population. By addressing restful sleep in congregate shelters, technology innovation has the potential to contribute to resolving homelessness.