Helping You Sleep Better: A Step-by-Step Guide
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Sleep plays a vital role in your physical health, emotional well-being, and ability to cope with everyday stress, yet many people experience ongoing sleep difficulties or insomnia.
In Canada, about 1 in 2 adults report trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and roughly one-third are not getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age. Night-time insomnia symptoms affect around 20% of Canadian adults, and about 10% meet criteria for an insomnia disorder, making sleep problems a common concern across the country.[1],[2], [3]
The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) “Sleep” resource offers a comprehensive set of self‑help materials developed by clinical psychologists to help you understand how sleep works, why sleep problems can persist, and what practical steps you can take to improve your sleep over time. Designed for individuals and families, this resource includes easy‑to‑read information sheets on the science of sleep, common sleep myths, and how poor sleep can affect mood, energy, relationships, and daily functioning. It also provides step‑by‑step guidance on evidence‑based strategies such as improving sleep hygiene, creating a regular sleep–wake routine, managing worries and unhelpful thoughts at night, and gradually reducing the time you spend awake in bed. Printable tools like sleep diaries and planning worksheets make it easier to track your sleep patterns, practise new strategies, and monitor your progress toward more restful, restorative sleep.
Sources:
[2] Chaput, J. P., Morin, C. M., Robillard, R., Carney, C. E., Dang-Vu, T. T., Davidson, J. R., Tomkinson, G. R., Lang, J. J., & Canadian Sleep Research Consortium (2025). Trends in nighttime insomnia symptoms in Canada from 2007 to 2021. Sleep medicine, 125, 21–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.11.025
[3] Charles M. Morin, Lydi-Anne Vézina-Im, Si-Jing Chen, Hans Ivers, Colleen E. Carney, Jean-Philippe Chaput, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, Judith R. Davidson, Geneviève Belleville, Dominique Lorrain, Ojistoh Horn, Rébecca Robillard, Prevalence of insomnia and use of sleep aids among adults in Canada, Sleep Medicine, Volume 124, 2024, Pages 338-345,
ISSN 1389-9457, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.09.044. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945724004659)
