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    Sleep Awareness

    Sleep Awareness

    Sleep is extremely important for brain function, mood and your overall health​(1)​. For instance, good sleep quality and sleep duration have been associated with higher odds of positive mental health and lower odds of mental illness and suicidal ideation​(2)​. Additionally, inadequate sleep can be both a symptom and a risk factor for many mental health conditions; 80-90% and 70-90% of people with depression and anxiety, respectively, also have insomnia​(3)​. Poor sleep can also increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes and obesity​(4)​.  Overall, in Canada, about a third of Canadians do not get the daily recommended amount of sleep and approximately 25% of adults report issues with falling or stay asleep most or all of the time​(2)​. 

     What does good sleep look like? 

    Good sleep is characterized by how much sleep you get, the quality of the sleep you get and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule​(1)​. How much sleep an individual needs is dependent on their age and overall medical conditions, with most adults requiring at least 7 hours a night​(1)​. In terms of quality, sleep should be uninterrupted, so the brain is able to move through all the sleep cycles appropriately​(1)​. A good sleep schedule means going to bed and waking up at the same time every night and morning, respectively, regardless of weekday or weekend​(1)​. This is because while a person can recover from one bad night of sleep, sleeping little during the week to catch up over the weekend does not provide the same health benefits of consistent, high-quality sleep​(1)​ 

    Poor sleep causes and treatments 

    Issues surrounding sleep can be related to life stressors, such as work or family related stress​(1,4)​ . For instance, ~30% of Canadians are employed in shift work, which can impede sleep quality and consistency​(5)​. However, poor sleep can also be caused by serious medical conditions including​(1,4)​: 

    Insomnia  

    • A condition characterized by the inability to fall and/or stay asleep 
    • A person with this condition may find themselves awake in the early morning, unable to fall back asleep 
    • Lack of good sleep can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, making it hard for those with insomnia to function during the day 
    • Treatment for insomnia is typically pharmaceutical based in combination with behavioral techniques to improve regular sleep  
        Narcolepsy  
        • A condition characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden muscle weakness  
        • Occurrences may be triggered by strong emotions and/or a surprise 
        • Treatment for narcolepsy is typically a combination of stimulant medications and behavioural changes, such as regularly scheduled naps 
        Restless leg syndrome 
        • A condition characterized by a creeping sensation in the lower leg(s) that moves throughout the leg(s) as aches and pains 
        • To stop the creeping sensation, patients may need to kick their leg(s) or walk, which makes falling asleep difficult 
        • Treatment for restless leg syndrome is typically medication that can normalize dopamine signaling and induce sleep 
        Sleep apnea 
        • A condition characterized by making gasping or snorting noises during sleep 
        • Can cause excessive daytime sleepiness due to poor, non-restorative sleep, as the noises made indicate a disrupted moment of sleep  
        • Treatment for sleep apnea is dependent on the cause of the sleep apnea and ranges from medications to a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Device  

        Tips for better sleep 

        Whether an individual’s poor sleep is caused by a condition or general life stress, the following 6 behavioral changes from the Mayo Clinic can help improve sleep​(6)​: 

        Stick to a sleep schedule 
        Pay attention to what you eat and drink close to bed time 
        • Don’t go to bed hungry or full and limit nicotine, caffeine and alcohol near bedtime  
        Create a restful environment in your bedroom 
        • Pay attention to the temperature, lighting and noise levels  
        Limit daytime naps 
        Include physical activity in your daily routine 
        Manage worries through stress management, meditation, therapy etc.  

         

        References: 

        1. NIH. News in Health. 2021. Good Sleep for Good Health. Available from: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/good-sleep-good-health#:~:text=But sleep is as important,stroke to obesity and dementia. 

        ​2. Clayborne ZM, Dopko RL, Wang C, Betancourt MT, Roberts KC, Capaldi CA. Associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with indicators of mental health among youth and adults: findings from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can [Internet]. 2023;43(5):243–59. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-43-no-5-2023/associations-sleep-duration-sleep-quality-indicators-mental-health-among-youth-and-adults.htm 

        ​3. Kuhathasan N, Minuzzi L, MacKillop J, Frey BN. An investigation of cannabis use for insomnia in depression and anxiety in a naturalistic sample. BMC Psychiatry [Internet]. 2022 Dec 1 [cited 2022 Sep 18];22(1). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35484520/ 

        ​4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics about Sleep [Internet]. 2022. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm 

        ​5. Shields M. Shift work and health. Health reports / Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Health Information = Rapports sur la santé / Statistique Canada, Centre canadien d’information sur la santé [Internet]. 2002;13(4):11–33. Available from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/82-003-x/2001004/article/6315-eng.pdf?st=bBlzZAJM 

        ​6. Mayo Clinic. Sleep Tips: 6 steps to better sleep [Internet]. 2022. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379 

        ​  

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