Clocks go back 1 hour as new survey highlights the hidden costs of poor sleep

A poor night’s sleep could cost Ontarians more than energy the next day, from an extra caffeine fix to a takeout order or another task left unfinished.

With clocks going back across most of Ontario on November 1, sleep will be back in the conversation. These findings offer a story beyond the one-hour shift: how running on empty shows up in Ontarians’ routines and spending decisions.

The cost of lost sleep isn’t always measured in hours. New research from Sleep Country finds that when Canadians aren’t getting enough sleep, the effects can show up in their wallets, their routines and their everyday decisions. From ordering takeout and spending more on convenience to skipping workouts and reaching for extra caffeine, sleep debt is taking a toll that extends well beyond the bedroom.

Sleep Country’s new survey reveals how insufficient sleep is influencing Canadians’ behaviour:

• 3 in 5 (60%) say that not having enough sleep makes them more likely to order takeout rather than cook or prepare their own meal. That rises to almost 4 in 5 (79%) among respondents under 35 who experience insufficient sleep.
• Two-thirds of respondents who experience insufficient sleep say they are more likely to buy an extra coffee, tea or energy drink when tired.
• More than 3 in 5 of respondents under 35 who ever feel a lack of sleep say they’re more likely to make impulse purchases when tired, and almost 30% admit they may buy something which they’ll later regret.
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) say they’re more likely than usual to skip a gym session, workout or exercise they’d planned because they were tired.

The findings highlight the often-overlooked consequences of sleep debt, the accumulated gap between the sleep our bodies need and the sleep we actually get. Almost half (46%) of respondents who ever feel a lack of sleep say they notice the effects after just one night of poor sleep. Poor sleep also follows Canadians into the workday. Seven out of 10 get less done when they haven’t had a good night’s sleep, and more than 3 in 5 (63%) say lack of sleep worsens their ability to focus.

“Sleep debt doesn’t announce itself. It does, however, build up over time and show up as ‘I’m just off lately,'” says sleep expert Amanda Jewson.

“So don’t ask how tired you feel. Ask what you’re doing differently. Like ordering in more, re-reading emails, snapping at people. These can be signs that insufficient sleep is affecting your daily life and noticing them is the first step of resetting.”

As you adjust to shorter days and the seasonal clock change, Jewson recommends a few practical ways to improve sleep habits:

• Keep a consistent wake time: Aim to wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
• Make time for morning light: Get outside within an hour of waking, even on overcast days. Light signals to your body that it is daytime and helps reset your internal clock.
• Make room for an earlier bedtime: As the days shorten, give yourself permission to shift bedtime earlier rather than later in those earlier days of seasonal change. The extra sleep may help you adjust better.