Shirley Weir’s sleeplessness started 14 years ago when she was 41 years old. She began waking up at 3 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. After frustrating nights of trying to doze off again, she became convinced this was how sleep would be for her now and, instead, got up to start her workday before her children got up.
“You can’t do that chronically without hitting a wall, which I did,” says Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks, an online community of 110,000 women experiencing menopause. “My mood was affected. I wasn’t the mother I wanted to be. I had bouts of rage and brain fog and was unable to function at the high level I wanted to.”
“There’s also an impaired quality of life,” says Dr. Jeffrey Habert, family physician, investigating coroner and assistant professor, department of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto. “People feel tired and non-productive during the day and there’s this concept of presenteeism. They’re not productive.”
help2sleep.ca, a sleep guidance site, cites reports from the Public Health Agency of Canada that one out of three Canadian adults between 35-64 years old are not getting enough sleep — enough being seven to nine hours if you’re between 18-64 years and seven to eight hours if you’re over 65.
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep could be stress-related if you have difficulties at work or in your relationships. It could also be a co-morbidity with another illness, such as depression or anxiety or insomnia.
Insomnia, whether it manifests as having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is common. Still, many Canadians don’t feel it’s an important to talk to a doctor. “People think of sleeplessness as their own issue and not a health issue,” says Dr. Habert.
Yet, too little sleep can have significant health ramifications. A disruptive cycle of interrupted, nights can shift your brain into overdrive, resulting in intrusive thoughts and overthinking. As Weir experienced, restless nights are followed by days where you can’t concentrate, you have memory trouble and you’re cranky.
READ MORE: What sleep deprivation might be doing to your body
The health consequences of a chronic lack of sleep can be severe. It can contribute to developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, breast cancer, chronic pain and more.
Want to get a better picture of your sleeplessness? Try this self-assessment quiz.
We partnered with help2sleep.ca to find out what you can do about getting the right amount of quality sleep and finding some treatment solutions.
READ MORE: Insomnia hitting you hard? You’re not alone
Dr. Habert encourages Canadians to talk to a doctor about it. “There are a lot of things we can do, starting with lifestyle changes.” And forget that sleeping pill your mom took every night for years. Today, there are newer, improved and safer sleep medications a doctor can prescribe for long-term use, if needed, and don’t result in addiction or dependency.
Weir started with some of those lifestyle changes. “I started learning about mindfulness and meditation,” she says. “I still wake too early sometimes. But now I go to bed by 9 p.m. and if I get up at 4:30-5 a.m., it’s not a big deal because I’m getting adequate sleep.”
There are also things you can do right away to start fixing your sleep including implementing good “sleep hygiene.” A doctor may suggest healthy sleep practices that include ensuring your room is dark, at a comfortable temperature — perhaps slightly cooler. Avoid, electronic devices before bed. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and big meals.
READ MORE: Sleeplessness in Canada
Dr. Habert also suggests looking into cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which can help identify thoughts and behaviours that could be leading to your sleep problems.
As Weir tells the women on Menopause Chicks, sleep concerns are worth looking into. “It’s okay to ask for support and help,” she says. “Sleep is not a back-burner issue. How you feel for the next three to five decades will unfold from you making sleep a priority.”
Canadians whose lives are disrupted by persistent sleeplessness can do a sell assessment and find constructive solutions, including how to talk to a doctor here.
Want to get a better picture of your sleeplessness? Try the help2sleep self-assessment quiz.