A Better Sleep

03/20/2026

03/19/2026

While not a public event, there is one planned for later this year, I wanted to mention that Kelowna will be hosting the international “Sleep Kelowna 2026” at the Ramada on April 24 and 25.

This is a hybrid international meeting for healthcare professionals with an interest in sleep, bringing together speakers from Australia, Sweden, and our own UBC, together with other recognized contributors in the field.

Guest speakers include Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, PhD, MPH, Director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, and Dr. Alex Sweetman from the University of Western Australia.

The meeting will also include the professional unveiling of our road safety initiative, Drowsy Driving Awareness Day, DDAD, which was selected and recognized by the World Sleep Society for World Sleep Day on the 13th of this month, just gone, a very positive BC safety step coming out of Kelowna. The Sleep Society is also hoping to involve partners such as ICBC, BCAA, and larger automotive makers and distributors.

I mention this for two reasons.

First, it helps put Kelowna on the map. We may not often think of our city in the same sentence as NASA, UBC, Umeå, or Western Australia, but there is certainly no harm in it being there. In fact, it says something very positive about where this city can sit in wider international professional and scientific conversations.

Second, we are already looking ahead to a public facing version in the fall. Although there has been interest from other cities, it would make good sense to bring that back to Kelowna too, with a small number of high value speakers and the formal public unveiling of DDAD as part of a wider push toward provincial recognition.

For registered healthcare providers interested in the benefits of sleep, quality, quantity, and continuity, feel free to drop us a line.

03/14/2026

Are We Entering a “Golden Age” of Sleep Treatments?

Sleep disorders affect tens of millions of people and are linked to heart disease, memory problems, metabolic disorders, and a higher risk of accidents. Yet many current treatments still have limitations.

That may now be changing.

Sleep researchers say the last few years have brought a wave of new treatments that better match how the brain actually regulates sleep. These include new medications that target the orexin system (a key wakefulness signal in the brain), wearable nerve stimulation devices, and digital therapies for insomnia.

For example, newer insomnia drugs called DORAs work by gently blocking wake signals rather than forcing sedation. They appear less habit forming than older sleep medications.

There are also promising developments for restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea, including nerve stimulation devices and new oral medications.

Experts say the most important step, however, is still accurate diagnosis. More than a dozen different sleep disorders exist, and many overlap.

Sleep medicine may finally be catching up with sleep biology.

Sleep. There is no substitute.

03/14/2026

Sleep Coaching May Help Teens Sleep Longer — But Not Earlier

Many teenagers naturally drift toward later bedtimes, a pattern often called delayed sleep phase. A new study from researchers in Finland looked at whether targeted sleep interventions could help shift teens toward earlier sleep schedules.

The researchers followed 176 teenagers, all of whom reported going to bed at 1 a.m. or later several nights a week. The teens were divided into four groups for six weeks. One group received general sleep information, another used morning bright light therapy, a third group received personalized sleep coaching from trained nurses, and the fourth group received both coaching and bright light therapy.

The results were interesting.

Teens who received sleep coaching slept longer. On average, they gained about 23 minutes of sleep shortly after the program ended, and about 33 minutes more sleep one year later compared with where they started.

However, their bedtimes did not move earlier. In other words, coaching helped them sleep longer, but it did not change their natural tendency to go to bed late.

Bright light therapy, either alone or combined with coaching, did not significantly change sleep timing, sleep duration, or other sleep measures.

The coaching program did briefly improve sleep habits such as bedtime routines and sleep hygiene, but these improvements did not last a full year.

What does this mean for parents and teens?

Teen sleep patterns are strongly influenced by biology. During adolescence the circadian clock naturally shifts later, making it difficult for many teens to fall asleep early even when they try. Programs that support better sleep habits may help teens get more total sleep, but shifting their body clock earlier is often much harder.

The researchers concluded that future approaches may need to be more personalized and take into account the natural sleep biology of teenagers.

Sleep matters — especially during the teenage years when the brain and body are still developing.

Source
Kuula L, Pesonen A-K et al. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2026

03/14/2026

Sleep, Exercise, and Better Health

A new study published in JAMA Network Open looked at whether exercise could help improve sleep. The results suggest that it can, especially when exercise is combined with guidance on healthy sleep habits.

Researchers studied more than 100 young women who were sedentary and had poor sleep health. The participants were divided into four groups for eight weeks. One group followed a program of high intensity circuit training. Another received sleep health counseling and used a digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia program. A third group received both the exercise program and sleep support, while a fourth group continued their usual lifestyle.

The exercise involved three body weight training sessions per week. The sleep health program included weekly counseling and use of a CBT-I sleep app.

The results were encouraging. All of the groups that received an intervention improved their sleep compared with the control group. People fell asleep faster, slept longer, and spent less time awake during the night.

However, the biggest improvements occurred when exercise and sleep support were combined. Participants in that group showed better sleep efficiency and less time awake during the night than those receiving only one intervention.

The exercise groups also showed improvements in several markers of cardiometabolic health, including cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and waist circumference.

What does this mean in practical terms?

Sleep rarely improves from a single change alone. Exercise helps. Good sleep habits help. Structured treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia helps. When these approaches are combined, the benefits appear to be greater.

This study focused on young women, so the findings may not apply equally to everyone. But it reinforces something sleep medicine has long suggested: physical activity and sleep health support each other.

Sleep. There is no substitute.

Source
Zhang B et al. JAMA Network Open, February 2026

03/09/2026

Is long term melatonin as harmless as we assume?

Melatonin supplements are widely used to help with sleep and are often viewed as completely harmless. Because they are available without a prescription in many countries, many people take them nightly for months or even years.

However, new research suggests we may need to think more carefully about long term use.

A large observational study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in 2025 looked at adults with insomnia who had taken melatonin regularly for a year or longer. Over the following five years, those individuals were more likely to develop heart failure, be hospitalized for heart related problems, and had higher overall mortality compared with similar individuals who did not take melatonin.

The researchers reported that the risk of developing heart failure was nearly twice as high among long term melatonin users.

Importantly, this study does not prove that melatonin causes these outcomes. It was an observational analysis of health records rather than a randomized clinical trial, and the findings have not yet been peer reviewed. Short term melatonin use did not appear to increase cardiac risk.

What the study does highlight is a gap in our knowledge. Despite how commonly melatonin is used, we still have limited high quality data about the long term cardiovascular safety of taking it every night for years.

There is no reason for patients to panic or abruptly stop a medication that has been helpful. But it does reinforce an important principle in sleep medicine: persistent insomnia should not simply be managed indefinitely with supplements.

If someone is relying on nightly melatonin long term, particularly if they have cardiovascular disease or risk factors, it is reasonable to discuss this with a healthcare professional and review the underlying cause of the sleep problem.

Good sleep begins with an accurate diagnosis and evidence based treatment.

Sleep. There is no substitute.

03/07/2026

Daylight saving time returns at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, when clocks move forward one hour and we lose an hour of sleep. Most digital devices will update automatically, but manual clocks will still need changing.

The modern use of daylight saving time grew out of the First World War as an energy saving measure. Germany adopted it in 1916, and Canada followed in 1918 to conserve fuel and support wartime production. Contrary to a common myth, it was not introduced to help farmers. In fact, many agricultural groups opposed it because farm work follows sunlight, not the clock.

The attraction, of course, is longer, lighter evenings. The problem is that the spring change can disrupt circadian rhythm, reduce alertness, and slow reaction time. Research has linked the transition to short term increases in motor vehicle crashes, workplace injuries, and some cardiovascular events.

Here in BC, legislation exists to allow permanent daylight saving time, but only if neighbouring US West Coast states move the same way. Until that happens, BC remains tied to the twice yearly clock change.

Many sleep medicine organisations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Medical Association, favour permanent standard time instead, as it aligns more closely with human biology and morning light exposure.

02/16/2026

What if just 20 minutes of walking each day could reduce the risk of sleep apnea?

As someone who runs several miles a few times a week, this caught my eye:

“Physical activity is associated with reduced prevalence of self-reported obstructive sleep apnea in a population-based cohort study.”
(Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine)

This research, based on data from more than 155,000 adults, found a clear and consistent association between increased physical activity and a lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Notably, these benefits were evident regardless of body weight. Even modest daily activity, such as a brisk 20-minute walk, was associated with a measurable reduction in OSA risk.

In our field, we have long focused on devices that help manage OSA, and for good reason. However, this study reinforces the importance of prevention, education, and supporting overall patient well-being.

This research highlights the additional value we can deliver when innovation is combined with real-world wellness strategies. By encouraging small, consistent lifestyle changes, we strengthen our role as true partners in health.

Here’s to doing the right thing, even when it requires a little more effort - Frank Madrigal
President and Founder at True FunctionPresident and Founder at True Function