Carrying more and sleeping less: New Sun Life research spotlights Canada's sleep gap

Carrying more and sleeping less: New Sun Life research spotlights Canada's sleep gap

• Over four in ten Canadian employees report getting less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night
• Financial concerns, work stress and mental health challenges top obstacles to good sleep
• Employees report losing an average of seven hours of productivity per week due to poor sleep

TORONTO, May 28, 2026 /CNW/ - Sleep problems are rising across Canada, but new research from Sun Life suggests the issue runs deeper than bedtime habits. The findings point to a broader reality: mounting financial pressure, work stress or job anxiety and even too much time scrolling are leaving Canadians overloaded and that burden is showing up in their sleep.

The findings also highlight how deeply sleep issues are embedded in Canadians' everyday lives and how quickly they can compound into health and performance challenges. Top insights include:

• One in five (20 per cent) Canadian employees meet the criteria for clinical insomnia.
• One third (33 per cent) say their quality of sleep is negatively impacting their work.
• Over one-third (39 per cent) say poor sleep negatively impacts their mental health, 36 per cent say it affects their physical health.

"Sleep is one of the clearest signals of how people are coping with the pressures they carry every day," said Erin Crump, Vice-President, Market Development, Sun Life Health. "When Canadians are stretched by stress, health challenges or major life demands, sleep is often one of the first things to suffer. This research shows that helping people access the right support sooner can ease that burden and improve well-being for employees, while helping workplaces thrive."

Sleep rarely acts alone

Poor sleep rarely exists in isolation. Instead, it often overlaps with mental health challenges, chronic conditions and major life transitions, amplifying health risks for both employees and employers. As these pressures accumulate, they don't stay contained to personal life. They show up in workplaces through fatigue, disengagement, absenteeism and declining productivity making sleep disruption both a human and organizational issue.

• One quarter (25 per cent) say it impacts their financial health.
• Women experiencing perimenopause/menopause and employees with chronic conditions both show 33 per cent clinical insomnia rates — 1.5x higher than the general population.
• Nearly half (43 per cent) of workers aged 18-34 face elevated sleep challenges, often normalizing sleep deprivation to get ahead.

Without proper support, organizations face higher absenteeism, lower engagement and a greater risk of losing experienced talent.

An awareness gap

Despite the growing impact of sleep disruption, a significant awareness gap remains both for individuals experiencing sleep problems and for organizations trying to support them.

• Nearly nine in 10 employers believe group benefits could support sleep health, but two-thirds are unsure how their plans can help.
• Research from Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) shows 79% of Canadians with mental health conditions report sleep issues, yet many remain undiagnosed or unaware of effective treatments.

Sun Life helps employers unlock the full value of their benefits plans, enabling healthier sleep, stronger well-being and better workplace performance.

"When employer benefit plans include coverage for supports like cognitive behavioural therapy programs tailored for insomnia and other therapeutic options available, they help close a critical gap for employees living with chronic insomnia," says Dave Gallson, National Executive Director, Mood Disorders Society of Canada.

Supporting healthier workplaces

Through workplace benefits, Sun Life offers access to supports that can directly address the root causes of poor sleep, including:

• Mental health counselling and coaching: including access to licensed professionals who help employees address stress, anxiety and behaviours that interfere with sleep.
• Virtual care: offering timely access to nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians for assessment of sleep concerns, referrals to sleep clinics and treatment for common sleep disorders.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): which provide confidential support for mental health, relationship challenges and financial stress — all common contributors to sleep disruption.
• Chronic disease and women's health supports: including resources that help manage conditions or life stages that often interfere with sleep.

Making support both easier to find and use can help Canadians take small, manageable steps toward better sleep, and a healthier, more balanced life. To learn more about Sun Life's support for a more well-rested future for Canadians and their workplaces, click here.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2026, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.58 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.

To contact Sun Life media relations, please email Media.Relations@sunlife.com 

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.