Qualitative findings describe how peer and staff interactions, lighting, schedules, and norms shape women's sleep behaviors in a carceral setting, building knowledge that can inform carceral policy and health interventions with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women.
Key Findings
Results
The physical environment of the prison, including lighting conditions, negatively affected women's sleep behaviors.
Participants described specific features of the physical environment that disrupted sleep
Lighting was identified as a key physical factor influencing sleep quality and patterns
The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews to capture detailed narratives about the sleep environment
All participants had been incarcerated in the same state carceral institution for women in the southeast United States
Results
Social interactions with both peers and correctional staff played a role in shaping women's sleep behaviors in prison.
Peer interactions were identified as a component of the social sleep environment affecting women's sleep
Staff interactions were also described as influencing sleep behaviors and conditions
Norms within the prison social environment contributed to sleep patterns
Topical and thematic analysis of narratives was conducted using Dedoose coding software
Results
Institutional schedules and norms within the prison shaped women's sleep habits and behaviors.
Prison schedules were identified as a structural factor influencing when and how women could sleep
Institutional norms around sleep were described by participants as part of their daily experience
Women were asked to describe their daily habits, behaviors, and practices while incarcerated, with sleep environment details emerging from these responses
Both physical and social dimensions of the sleep environment were captured in participant narratives
Methods
The study sample consisted of 13 formerly incarcerated women who participated through nine individual interviews and one focus group.
Nine individual interviews were conducted in addition to one focus group with four participants
All participants had been incarcerated in the same state carceral institution for women in the southeast United States
Interviews were semi-structured, audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded in Dedoose
The study used topical and thematic analysis of women's narratives
Background
Existing research on sleep in correctional settings is primarily quantitative and based on men's experiences, creating a gap that this qualitative study of women's experiences addresses.
Prior research indicates that sleep hygiene deteriorates when people are incarcerated
Sleep hygiene is described as critical to physical and mental health
The existing body of research is characterized as primarily quantitative and drawn from men's experiences
The objective of this analysis was explicitly to use qualitative data to build knowledge about the physical and social sleep environment of a women's prison
Conclusions
The findings suggest that changes in carceral practices and facilities, along with improved sleep hygiene education, could improve women's sleep in prison.
Authors state findings 'invite dialogue about how changes in carceral practices and facilities could improve women's sleep habits and behaviors'
Findings encourage 'more education about sleep hygiene for incarcerated women and correctional staff'
Results are described as able to 'inform carceral policy and health interventions with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women'
Further research is recommended to better understand the impact of prison on women's sleep behaviors and health outcomes
What This Means
This research explores how the environment inside a women's prison affects the sleep of incarcerated women. Researchers interviewed 13 women who had previously been held in the same women's prison in the southeastern United States, asking them about their daily routines and habits. From these conversations, detailed descriptions emerged about how the prison's physical features—such as lighting—and social factors—such as interactions with other inmates and correctional staff, along with institutional schedules and unwritten norms—all shaped how and when women were able to sleep.
The study fills an important gap in existing knowledge because most prior research on sleep in prisons has focused on men and has relied on surveys and numerical data rather than in-depth personal accounts. By listening to women describe their own experiences, the researchers were able to capture nuances about the prison sleep environment that numbers alone cannot reveal, such as the role of social dynamics and institutional routines in disrupting or enabling rest.
This research suggests that specific changes to prison policies, physical facilities, and staff practices could meaningfully improve sleep for incarcerated women. It also highlights the value of providing better sleep hygiene education to both women in prison and the staff who work with them. Since poor sleep is linked to a wide range of physical and mental health problems, improving sleep conditions in women's prisons could have broader benefits for the health and well-being of this population during and after incarceration.
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Amy B. Smoyer, J. Elumn. (2026). Physical and social sleep environment of a women’s prison: A qualitative exploration. Women's Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261425469