For the more than four million Canadians who have chronic insomnia, daily life can be a struggle. Medically recognized as a serious brain disorder, insomnia syndrome damages mental and physical health and increases the risk of depression, heart disease, diabetes and suicide. Canada’s communities and our economy rely on a healthy, productive workforce, but insomnia is quietly undermining it. Chronic insomnia is sleeplessness that occurs at least three days a week over three months and impairs daytime functioning. Research links it to a 40 to 75 per cent increase in long-term work disability. The resulting costs are hard to ignore: reduced productivity, safety issues, and higher expenses in sectors such as energy, healthcare, and education. Despite the widespread prevalence of chronic

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