How sleep loss is impacting the workplace: what the data shows us

May 19, 2026

Read time: 2 minutes

Many know that sleep is essential for physical health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. However, poor sleep can also have profound effects on workplace performance and productivity.

To better understand this issue, we partnered with Ipsos to conduct national surveys of 2,000 Canadian employees and 400 employers. Based on this research, our latest report, Wake-up call. The hidden cost of poor sleep – and what we can do about it, provides critical insights into the sleep patterns of Canadian employees, the effects of poor sleep on the workplace, and solutions that can help.

Key findings

Our research found that:

  • 46% of Canadians have subclinical insomnia,* a status that poses risks to health and impacts productivity. Individuals with subclinical insomnia are also at risk for progression to clinical insomnia.1
  • 20% have clinical insomnia,** rising to 33% for women experiencing perimenopause/menopause and employees with chronic conditions.2
  • 33% said that poor sleep impacted their work performance (rising to 72% for those with clinical insomnia).3
  • Employees missed an average of 3 days per year due to sleep issues. Those with clinical insomnia missed from 5 to 8 days.4

Empowering Clients to take the next step

We encourage you to download our report share it with your Clients. We’re sharing this information with plan sponsors through this Focus Update on May 21, 2026.

Questions? We’re here to help.

Please contact your Sun Life Group Benefits representative.

 

*Subthreshold insomnia refers to sleep difficulties—such as trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or early waking—that are present but do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder.

** Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in falling or staying asleep or getting restorative sleep despite having the opportunity to do so. Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) – International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3).

1,2,3,4 Ipsos/Sun Life Survey of Canadian Employees, 2025