World Sleep Day

World Sleep Day is a global initiative designed to bring attention to the importance of healthy sleep and its impact on health and quality of life. Originally established by the World Sleep Society, it serves as a platform for engaging conversations about sleep disorders, the role of sleep in overall wellbeing, and the steps needed for promoting better sleep health worldwide. It underscores the significance of addressing sleep-related issues, offering solutions to prevent and manage sleep disorders and aims to reduce the burdens that these issues cause to society.

The inception of World Sleep Day was in 2008 when the World Sleep Society, formerly World Association of Sleep Medicine, decided to devote a day to educate the public about the value of good sleep. Canada has a vested interest in this event as sleep disorders and poor sleep hygiene are widespread among Canadians. According to the Canadian Sleep Society, approximately 30% of adults in Canada have a sleep disorder, with insomnia, sleep apnea, and circadian rhythm disorders being the most common. World Sleep Day serves as a much-needed reminder for Canadians to prioritize their sleep health and encourages them to consult professionals for managing sleep disorders.

In Canada, World Sleep Day is commemorated by promoting awareness about sleep hygiene and the clinical implications of sleep disorders through several initiatives. These include public campaigns, informative sessions, interactive seminars, organizing sleep studies, and offering practical strategies for improving sleep quality. Educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers all partake in these activities to foster a better understanding of sleep’s role in health among Canadians. World Sleep Day is typically observed annually on the Friday before the Spring Vernal Equinox in March in Canada like the rest of the world. As such, it serves as an ideal platform to redefine attitudes towards sleep and establish healthy sleep as a pillar of health.