New research tackles global ‘sleep equity’
In June 2022, the Government of Canada committed to investing 3.8 million dollars into sleep research.
World Sleep Day is held each year in March, and it aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through education and better management. Canada’s population is not immune to sleep challenges across the lifespan, and these issues can impact wellbeing, productivity and overall quality of life.
In June 2022, the Government of Canada committed to investing 3.8 million dollars in national sleep research: “In combination with diet and exercise, sleep is an important component of health promotion and wellness. Evidence suggests that up to one-third of Canadians are not getting enough sleep, with thousands of people suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders.” To guide this work, the Canadian Sleep Consortium was created to study insomnia and mental health, sleep across the lifespan, and sleep equity. As a national hub of sleep scientists and clinicians, this Consortium strives to enhance sleep wellness through all stages in life.
The Canadian bilingual public health campaign sleeponitcanada.ca and the sleep study virtual program Better Nights, Better Days are two of the many helpful resources now promoted by the Consortium. Sleeponitcanada.ca was created for community health, and the Better Nights, Better Days focused on parents & caregivers of neurotypical children, neurodiverse children, for youth, for babies, and for children living with epilepsy. Both resources are accessible online and endeavour to help young and old troubled by sleep issues. Curious? Learn more at researchsleep.ca/public-patients-caregivers.
