Get Your Best Sleep Ever

Your health depends on it. Here’s the latest expert advice and tips for a good night’s rest.

- Leah Rumack AND Mark Witten

The bad news first: Canadians are sleeping less than they should. One in three of us don’t get enough rest, and, according to a 2018 Statistics Canada report, our nighttime insomnia symptoms jumped by 42 per cent over eight years. Chronic stress and a more sedentary lifestyle—both of which increased during the pandemic—are two reasons for that.

If you don’t get enough sleep, the negative effects on your health can be profound. Once you reach your 50s, if you’re sleeping less than the recommended seven hours a night, your risk of developing dementia jumps by 30 per cent. That is, if you make it to that point. Inadequate sleep also increases the risks of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and other health issues.

On the flip side, a restorative sleep is good medicine, a natural elixir that far exceeds the benefits of any pill. And getting enough keeps you mentally sharp during the day, better able to deal with life’s stresses and conflicts.

The good news? We spoke to the experts and did the research to help you rest easier, starting tonight.

STEP ONE

Optimize Your Bedroom

1. The Pillow That Adapts

Avoid a sore neck in the morning by investing in an adjustable pillow from Simba. Removable foam cubes let you customize the pillow to the perfect height and firmness for you. $199, simbasleep.ca

2. The Sounds of Silence

A white-noise machine has always been a must-have for the bedroom, but now you can also pump ambient sounds directly into your ears to drown out unwelcome noise. Try the Bose Sleepbuds II, which are surprisingly comfortable earbuds that allow you to choose from a bunch of instrumental tracks that are specifically designed to mask the low-frequency disruptions— like snoring and noisy neighbours—that are the most common sleep disturbances. $329, Bose.ca