Even though humans spend a third of their lives asleep, it’s often taken for granted, but people are waking up to how sleep — or lack of sleep — is affecting their health and well-being.

“All of medicine has been focused on how we do when we’re awake, but now we’re trying to pick up on sleep as well,” says Dr. Armin Rahmani, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at Markham Stouffville Hospital. “Sleep has multiple different roles that are becoming more widely recognized.”

From an evolutionary perspective, sleep helped humans evolve, compete and do better, he says, but it also helps to fight chronic diseases and viral infections, has an impact on mood and anxiety levels and affects physical health.

Read: Editorial: Sleep is the best medicine in an increasingly foreboding world

People often consider sleep as a negotiable activity, says Anna Fisher, health and wellness director at Flight Centre Travel Group. “They don’t understand that chronic sleep deprivation undermines basically every other aspect of health: immune function, decision-making, the nutrition choices we make. I wish we talked about it more.”

Employer support

Flight Centre Travel Group is certainly talking about sleep more, with several different education channels for employees.

In addition to running webinars, Fisher posts regular tips on the company’s internal website, highlighting common suggestions for improving sleep, such as cutting out caffeine in the afternoon, using blackout blinds and avoiding screens close to bedtime.

She also suggests people consider the dial method. “What’s the minimum thing you can do that you can control? That’s one on your dial. It might be five minutes of wind-down time before bed. You can do that whether you’re traveling, whether it’s Christmas time, whether it’s the busiest day of your life — you give yourself the five minutes. So you’re always doing something to try to encourage a good night’s sleep. . . . People can always move that dial a little bit, so they’re always progressing.”

By the numbers

According to both the 2023 and 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey, better sleep continues to climb up the list of Canadian employees’ top desired lifestyle changes — 41% of respondents cited sleep, up from 31% in 2022, but a slight drop from the 43% who said the same in 2019 before the pandemic.

In 2023, 49% of plan sponsor respondents said they were interested in offering programs to support employees’ sleep. However, just 20% actually offered sleep support programs.

Source: The 2023 and 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey

Flight Centre also has a sleep pod and wellness room in one of its U.S. offices that employees can book if they need to take a nap. Fisher oversees the health and well-being of the company’s Canadian, U.S., Mexican and Latin American employees, so she acknowledges that a nap during the day is often a regular part of different cultures.

Read: Flight Centre’s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards wins communicating wellness offerings to employees

“We let people choose what they want to do, but sleep is an option,” she says. “Whether it’s a bad night or they have a new baby, you never know all the things that people are dealing with. We try to help with that work-life balance.”

Impact on chronic disease

Different sleep disorders have different impacts on people’s general health, says Rahmani, noting around 30 per cent of the Canadian population says they’re unhappy with their sleep.

“They’re either sleep-deprived or their sleep quality is low. And about 10 to 15 per cent of the population has an insomnia disorder. . . . The impact of [insomnia] on chronic diseases is widely accepted.”

Indeed, several reports have ranked diabetes, depression and cardiovascular issues among the top three drug categories, says Bill Kafkis, a consultant at Mosey & Mosey Benefits Consultants, noting these are all impacted by sleep issues. “We know that it not only affects your health, it lowers your immune system. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you can see it in your face and your skin. Even worse, life expectancy and your mental health is an issue . . . . [In terms of diabetes], people have difficulty losing weight when they’re not getting enough sleep. All of these things are really impacting our group benefits.”

Read: Chronic disease, drug claims driving benefits plan costs: report

In addition to its impact on chronic diseases, insomnia disorders increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as worsening pain, says Rahmani. Another consideration is sleep apnea, which affects about 10 to 15 per cent of the population over the age of 40 and affects cardiovascular risks, cognitive function, energy levels, mood and overall well-being.

He also suggests employers consider employees’ start times in relation to any sleep issues. “A lot of people have delayed sleep cycles, so a very early start time, for some people, genetically, it’s difficult for them to wake up, no matter how much they train their sleep cycle. . . . Accommodating a very super early wake-up time or start time is going to be important.”

Treatments for sleep disorders can take a long time to implement and can be costly, he adds, noting cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help insomnia, isn’t necessarily covered by private payers. “Those are the kind of treatments we would like to offer to people . . . . If things like that are covered by employers, I think it would go a long way.”

A stressful work environment can also affect sleep, says Rahmani. “I often have people come to my clinic and they’re struggling with their sleep. They go off work and their sleep is 100-times better.”

He urges employers to be understanding about the impact sleep issues can have on people’s work functions and, conversely, the impact of stress levels on sleep. He also suggests organizations provide evidence-based information and education sessions to staff.

“At the end of the day, we want employees to be healthy and when they’re healthy, they’re productive,” notes Kafkis. “I’m a firm believer in taking care of your health and doing the best you can to promote good health — and one way [to do that] is through sleep.”

Jennifer Paterson is editor of Benefits Canada and the Canadian Investment Review.