Most sleepless city in Canada not where you might think

Sunday, June 14, 2015, 6:07 AM -

Uncomfortable room temperature is the second most common reason Canadians can't sleep at night, according to this new study that comes as summer's heat and humidity approaches.

The study, published by Sleep-Centre.ca and IPG Mediabrands, found that 62 per cent of Canadians suffer from some form of sleep problem. Pain was the top reason for keeping respondents awake at night (50%) and temperature came next (31%).

The room-temperature reason is "kind of eye-opening in a way, because ... it feels like the most easy thing to control in a way, aside from the temperature outdoors.," said Loraine Cordery, insights and marketing manager for the study. "We definitely hope to repeat the survey. If we timed them around seasons, we would get a better insight."

Work stress, illness, snoring and too much caffeine were other reasons for lack of sleep.

Some of the most common sleep solutions included: changing sleeping position; using the bathroom; turning to a screen and taking medication.

The study also ranked the Top 20 most sleepless cities. Kitchener, Ont., was the most sleep deprived city in Canada. Saskatoon was tied with Vancouver for second worst.

This sleep ranking comes amid several recent satisfaction rankings, including:

• The happiest countries in the world;
• The most bike-friendly cities in the world;
• The best places to live in Canada;
• And the most contented cities in Canada.

Of the top 20 sleepless cities, Toronto residents are getting the best sleep. This is because the metropolis has a higher number of singles, according to Chris Herlihey, vice-president research at IPG Mediabrands. The cities topping the list have more children living at home.

"At the top of the list, Kitchener is a tech savvy community, made up of young families," Cordery said. "There are more babies and toddlers."

Sleep deprivation costs companies almost $75-million each year because of sick days, according to the study, which found that over a quarter of Canada’s work force have called in sick to catch up on sleep

"It's definitely an issue that can't be ignored," Cordery said. "I think people too easily push aside the fact that they had a bad night's sleep, when really it's so important to get a good night's sleep."

To conduct the study, more than 3,000 people were surveyed across the country in April. Researchers focused on matching the Census of Canada by surveying 1,000 people based on gender, age and province. The remaining 2,000 were surveyed in the top 20 biggest cities of Canada. Citizens 18 and older were asked 10 questions online.

Sources: The Weather Network | Sleep-Centre.ca