Written by Miranda Lightstone
We all know how important sleep is to everyday functionality. But knowing is only half the battle. Talk to a new mother, a shift worker, or even a stressed-out teen during exam season; sleep is paramount to proper performance, but not always easy to come by.
According to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults – released in October of 2020 – the recommended and ideal amount of good quality sleep for adults aged 18-64 is between 7 and 9 hours per night. On average, most Canadians are not getting that amount of sleep, or if they are it’s not the correct quality for all those hours.
But, how is good quality measured? And who’s getting that amount of proper sleep on a nightly basis?
In the spring of 2022, the Canadian Government, after realizing that one-third of Canadians don’t get the recommended amount of sleep and thousands suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders, announced it would invest in research towards sleep health in the amount of $3.8 million.
Understanding the need for Canadians’ overall sleep health is important for the government because a well-rested population means a population that can function properly and be productive economically. Over the years, Canadians’ sleep patterns have deteriorated due to the pandemic and its subsequent change to our everyday routines and schedules, reciprocal financial stressors, and overall uncertainty about the future.
A lack of proper rest and recuperation for Canadian workers has a direct impact on productivity across the country. From blue-collar to white, if our workers are not properly rested before their workday or shift begins, there is a good chance that the day’s work will not be completed and even if it is, it may not be completed up to appropriate standards. All because not enough shut-eye was had the night before.
While workplaces are quick to promote health and well-being by offering compensation for gym memberships, healthier meal options in available cafeterias, or even complimentary lunchtime yoga sessions, they aren’t quick to offer help for their employees to sleep better.
But they should.
Sophie Rochon, veteran of the pharmaceutical industry and current Head of Access and Policy at Swiss company, Idorsia, is all about advocating for Canadian’s sleep health, just as Idorsia itself is as well. Idorsia has spent decades studying sleep patterns and good sleep hygiene and is poised and ready to help Canadians not only recognize the importance of healthy sleep but also provide them with the right tools to achieve ultimate sleep success.
“[We] think sleep needs to be recognized as an essential pillar of health similar to nutrition and exercise,” stated Rochon when asked how corporations and even the government can help our nation be healthier when our heads hit the pillow. “Sleep fits everywhere … and it fits nowhere.”
On a fundamental, self-preservation level, we as Canadians understand the need for proper sleep, and yet we do very little to fix a glaring issue, something Rochon and the team at Idorsia are very aware of. Rochon pointed out that, “more than 2 million adults in Canada are not getting restorative sleep.”
“[Sleep is] public health, it’s labour, it’s productivity – yet, no one seems to want to take the leadership on it,” continued Rochon. Even despite studies like the one conducted by RAND Europe, released in March 2023, estimating that productivity loss due to lack of sleep in Canadians represents 1.03% of the GDP, or roughly $25 billion.
“We spend one-third of our whole lives sleeping,” said Rochon. “We need to promote and encourage good sleep hygiene.”
Idorsia was founded in 2017, however, the team of researchers has been working together for the past 20 years. Their main focus? Sleep health and hygiene, with a real focus on Chronic Insomia Disorder (CID). Something Canadians truly seem to suffer from the most.
Based on the studies conducted at Idorisa, this condition isn’t just about sleeping, it’s really about being able to function the next day.
What is CID? Well, it’s a combination or things or at least one of the following: the inability to fall asleep, the inability to stay asleep, or the inability to return to sleep once awakened very early in the morning – all of which result in a lack of functionality throughout the day. Those who suffer from CID never truly experience the proper levels of sleep needed for complete rest: from light to REM to deep (deep being one of the most important). They remain in a state of hyper arousal and while they do fall asleep, they keep on the very surface of sleep. And, as Rochon pointed out, it’s not about the quantity of the sleep, but more about the quality.
And when we get the quality of sleep we need, it’s not just our mood that improves. With better sleep comes improved mental cognition, better physical health, our bodies have time to propelry restore, and we even solidify our memory during a restful night. Which is why Idorisa offers a pharmacological solution.
“We really target CID at Idorsia more than any other sleep disorder because it really is the most crucial and perhaps most difficult to overcome,” explained Rochon.
And so, a new class of medication known as a dual orexin receptor antagonist was developed by the researchers at Idorsia. In the simplest explanation, this medication blocks wakefulness (that sate of hyper arousal) which then allows you to sleep. It is not a drug designed to knock you out, it targets that wakefulness and keeps it at bay. Rochon believes that if someone truly wants to get restorative sleep and they have exhausted behavioural changes, cognitive awareness and even therapy, the pharmacological route is the very best to get that proper shuteye.
“Sleep is very individual,” Rochon explained. “ We get fixated on that recommended 8 hours, but it varies per person and it really is all about the quality of the sleep.” Something Idorsia is all about helping Canadians achieve through the help of their healthcare provider.
About the author
Miranda Lightstone
Miranda is an active freelance reporter and content editor. She has an extensive track record writing for outlets such as the Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette, AskMen.com, MSN Autos, The Suburban and Venture Cover. Miranda is passionate about storytelling and the written word.