Are Canadian adults getting enough sleep? 

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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Published: 2019-03-14

Current recommendationsFootnote 1 are:

Ages 18-64
7-9 Hours of sleep/night

Ages 65+
7-8 Hours of sleep/night

But

1 in 4 adults aged 18-34

1 in 3 adults aged 35-64Footnote *

1 in 4 adults aged 65-79

are not getting enough sleep.

Let's talk about sleep quality, shall we?

  • 1 in 2 adults have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep.
  • 1 in 5 adults do not find their sleep refreshing.
  • 1 in 3 adults have difficulty staying awake during waking hours.

A number of factors are related to insufficient sleep in adults:

More sedentary time

  • Adults who get insufficient sleep report an average of 4.0 hours of sedentary time a day compared to an average of 3.5 hours for adults who get adequate sleep.

Chronic stress

  • 36.3% of adults who get insufficient sleep report having chronic stress compared to
    23.2% of adults who get adequate sleep.

Poor mental health

  • 12.3% of adults who get insufficient sleep report having poor mental health compared to
    5.8% of adults who get adequate sleep.

Good sleep hygiene could lead to better sleepFootnote 2 , Footnote 3:

  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine before bed
  • Maintain a regular bedtime/waketime
  • Practice relaxation and mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques
  • Reduce noise in the sleeping environment
  • Exercise regularly
  • Review medications with your physician/pharmacist regularly

Good sleep. Part of a healthy lifestyle.

Learn more about sleep health at Canada.ca

Footnotes

Data source: Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) 2014-2015.

Footnote 1

Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation's updated sleep duration recommendations: Final report. Sleep Health 2015; 1:233-43

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH. The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews
2015; 22:23-36

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

Suzuki K, Miyamoto M, Hirata K. Sleep Disorders in the elderly: Diagnosis and management. Journal of General and Family Medicine 2017 Apr; 18(2):61-71

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

significant difference between males and females

Return to footnote * referrer

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