Sleepless But Not Powerless: Sleep Stories of Healthcare Workers Highlight the Need for Systemic Change

We often hear that “sleep is the best medicine,” yet for many, getting enough rest is an uphill battle. Healthcare workers, caregivers, and shift workers face an unrelenting cycle of disrupted rest, forced to navigate exhaustion while performing critical duties. Whether it is juggling unpredictable night shifts, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, or simply trying to stay safe on the road after a gruelling shift, the struggle for quality sleep is a widespread yet invisible crisis.

To better understand this issue and shed light on real experiences, we interviewed five individuals through the Share Your Sleep Story Initiative: Julie, Beniamin, Donald, Josée, and Maria. Their stories—ranging from the demands of healthcare work to the struggle of balancing caregiving and personal health—paint a clear picture: sleep issues are not just a personal struggle but a systemic problem demanding urgent policy attention.

Sleeplessness as a Way of Life

For those working in healthcare, irregular hours are the norm. Nurses and other night-shift workers often battle against their own circadian rhythms, pushing through long hours of physical and emotional labor while their bodies scream for rest. Many try to adjust by catching sleep in short bursts or squeezing in a few hours during the day, but the debt accumulates, leading to chronic fatigue, impaired cognitive function, and long-term health risks.

Josée Gobeil, a dedicated ICU assistant head nurse at the Jewish General Hospital, worked night shifts for 35 years, frequently sacrificing weekends and holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s, to care for patients. Chronic sleep deprivation was a constant challenge for Josée, who often managed only 3 to 4.5 hours of sleep per day. She struggled to unwind after stressful shifts and, by necessity, relied on 5mg of melatonin daily—a habit she developed during the pandemic when her husband and daughter were at home, making daytime sleep even harder. While on workdays Josée found it difficult to sleep during the day, her off-days were spent recovering from accumulated sleep debt, requiring 8–12 hours of rest. Josée’s story highlights the profound impact of sleep health on one’s leisure time, social life, and motivation to work—all of which are essential to living a fulfilling life.

Many workers are also caregivers, responsible for children or loved ones with medical conditions. The moment they step out of the hospital or workplace, another shift begins—one that involves cooking, cleaning, and managing household responsibilities, often at the expense of their own rest. To cope, some reduce their work hours, while others transition to different roles entirely, sacrificing career stability for the hope of better sleep.

For Julie, sleepless nights had become a routine. As a nurse balancing 12-hour night shifts with the responsibilities of a single mother, her rest was constantly interrupted. This sleep deprivation greatly impacted her memory and cognition. In her interview she says, “My brain is not in the present when I do something. My body is here, but I am not here. It looks like I am functional, but I am not.” She only found some relief when she eventually switched to part-time work. Her story is echoed by many healthcare workers who are expected to perform at their best while battling chronic exhaustion. For example, Josée had to take her son, who had a learning disability, to his appointments during the day, precisely when she was supposed to be sleeping.

The case was similar for Beniamin, a former ICU nurse at the Jewish General Hospital, who spent 29 years working rotating shifts—four days of 12-hour day shifts followed by four days of 12-hour night shifts. Even after gaining seniority and becoming eligible for different shifts, Beniamin chose to keep his night schedule to support his son, who has ADHD. When his son was younger, he struggled to fall asleep until Beniamin returned home. Being present for him in the evenings was a priority, which made it difficult for Beniamin to switch to a different shift. He remarked:

Night shift workers often find themselves in a paradox: while they sleep during the day, the world around them continues to operate. This presents a challenging reality for those who must navigate not only the demands of their work but also the needs of their families and personal lives.

Beyond the fatigue, stress, and social isolation faced by nightshift workers, they also face serious risks with road safety when driving to and from work. Josée, for instance, sometimes fell asleep at red lights and was only jolted awake when other drivers honked. She had to develop coping mechanisms, such as holding a hot coffee (not to drink, but to spill on herself if she nodded off). The case was similar for Beniamin, whose exhausting schedule and long commute frequently left him drowsy while driving, sometimes forcing him to pull over and sleep in his car. He learned to recognize early signs of drowsiness—losing focus, missing exits, or seeing blurry lights—but many colleagues weren’t as lucky, experiencing accidents due to fatigue.

What these stories reveal is not just the burden of sleeplessness but the way our society undervalues rest, forcing individuals to function in a system that does not accommodate their basic biological needs. That is not to say that all sleep needs are the same. Donald, a night shift nurse who has long experienced fragmented sleep, has found ways to function and even thrive on just 4.5 hours of sleep. Donald’s sleep story challenges the idea that healthy sleep is the same for everyone, and invites us to be open-minded about diverse sleep needs. Nonetheless, he still relayed a pressing issue which impacts all night shift workers: the limited food options available to them, as hospital cafeterias often close early in the evening.

The lack of education on sleep health and the absence of informed policies impact not only healthcare professionals but also their patients. Maria, an occupational therapist who is self-taught on sleep hygiene and circadian rhythm, sees firsthand how sleep issues affect the recovery of her chronic pain patients—and yet it is a long and bureaucratic process navigating the healthcare system to get her patients the appropriate sleep-related care they need. This is quite alarming, especially given that sleep seems to directly impact the therapy outcomes and patient well-being. This was exemplified by one of Maria’s patients who turned out to have severe obstructive sleep apnea, which was directly preventing her from fully recovering.

This systemic neglect of sleep health also takes a toll on healthcare workers themselves. As an assistant head nurse, Josée faced mounting challenges in assigning nurses due to staff shortages and an increasing patient load. Many new nurses left hospital settings for private clinics to avoid demanding shift schedules and missed holidays, exacerbating retention issues. She saw first-hand how exhaustion and lack of institutional support drove nurses away, worsening the staffing crisis.

These are not isolated experiences; they are systemic problems that demand policy-driven solutions.

A CALL FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE

To address the sleep crisis affecting shift workers, caregivers, and even patients, we need structural and policy reforms at the workplace that recognize sleep as a fundamental human right. Our storytellers shared valuable insights about their needs and the policy reforms that could improve their sleep and enhance their quality of life.

Significant changes are needed to better support healthcare workers

1. From Josée’s experience, it is clear that hospitals would benefit from reducing weekend shift requirements by implementing a rotation system in which nurses work only one weekend every three to four weeks.
2. Additionally, staffing shortages should be addressed by setting ICU patient capacity limits that align with the number of available nurses, ensuring a safer and more sustainable work environment.
3. As illustrated by Josée, Julie, and Beniamin’s experiences, many healthcare workers must balance demanding shifts with caregiving responsibilities. To support them, employers should offer flexible scheduling options or paid leave for those managing both work and caregiving. Government programs could also play a crucial role by providing financial and practical assistance to caregivers, preventing them from having to compromise their own well-being.
4. Most storytellers reported difficulties adapting their sleep between different shifts, exacerbating fatigue and long-term health risks. Employers should implement evidence-based scheduling practices that minimize abrupt transitions between shifts. Given that each worker’s situation is unique, hospitals should also provide more flexibility in scheduling, allowing employees greater input in planning their shifts to promote better rest—especially in healthcare, where fatigue can directly impact patient safety and quality of care.
5. Workplace sleep education must also be prioritized to better support workers’ health, particularly in hospitals, transport hubs, and other high-risk environments. Employers should provide training on sleep hygiene and fatigue management, equipping workers with strategies to mitigate the effects of chronic sleep disruption.
6. Sleep resources should be made accessible. Beniamin, frustrated by the lack of support from doctors in understanding the cause of his constant exhaustion and sleep issues pointedly asks, “Why don’t mega-institutions like CIUSSS and CISSS hire sleep specialists? Sleep is a critical part of everybody’s life. It affects our health.”
7. This education should extend beyond workers themselves to include healthcare providers, as Maria’s experience with chronic pain patients demonstrates. Given the profound impact of sleep on physical health, medical professionals must be well-versed in sleep mechanisms and the varied effects of sleep medications on patients. We could go even further to say that sleep assessments should become standard practice, especially in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and rehabilitation hospitals.
8. Beyond education, institutions must implement policies that actively protect workers’ sleep health. Allowing short, restorative naps for night-shift employees can help prevent burnout and reduce errors, particularly in high-stakes environments like healthcare. To support this, workplaces should establish designated rest zones where employees can take proper breaks without disruption.
9. Addressing sleep-related risks should also extend to worker safety outside the workplace. From Beniamin and Josée’s experiences, we learned that drowsy driving is a critical issue that affects many night shift workers. To improve road safety, hospitals could introduce hospital-funded taxi vouchers or shuttle services for night-shift employees, ensuring they can commute home safely without jeopardizing their own well-being or that of others on the road.
10. Hospitals must recognize that night-shift workers deserve access to proper nutrition. We learned from Donald that many cafeterias close early, leaving limited food options for those working overnight. Providing healthy and accessible meal alternatives is a simple yet crucial step toward improving workplace conditions for night-shift employees.

TOWARDS A SOCIETY THAT VALUES SLEEP

Sleep is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Yet, many are forced to choose between financial stability, caregiving, and rest. As the stories of Julie, Beniamin, Donald, Josée, and Maria illustrate, the struggle for sleep is not a personal failing but a structural issue that demands policy intervention.

When policymakers and employers fail to acknowledge the importance of rest, they contribute to burnout, health risks, and safety hazards. By implementing smarter shift schedules, caregiver support, workplace education and resources, we can create a culture that values sleep as a fundamental human right.

It is time for workplaces, policymakers, and communities to prioritize sleep health, ensuring that it is no longer an afterthought.

If you or someone you know struggles with sleep due to work or caregiving responsibilities, share your story with us and consider advocating for policy changes in your workplace or community.

Every story matters—and collective action can turn sleepless nights into a wake-up call for change.