News & Events

2025

Davidson JR, Gardner D, Fretz K, Lynch S, Watson S, Desmarais E, Sloan E, Leung C, on behalf of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium. Boosting access to evidence-based insomnia care: our experience with a stepped care approach in Canada. Transl Behav Med. Sep 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaf032

2024

Murphy AL, Sawires K, Peltekian SM, Helwig M, Macdonald M, Martin-Misener R, Saini B, Neyedli H, Giacomantonio C, Gardner DM. A scoping review of motor vehicle operator performance assessments for benzodiazepine receptor agonists. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. Dec 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100538

Lake RC, Tucker RE, Murphy AL, Pencer A, Kruglova K, Gardner DM. A scoping review of self-help cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Sleep Med Rev. Nov 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2024.102021

Gardner DM, Turner JM, Magalhaes S, Rajda M, Murphy AL. Patient self-guided interventions to reduce sedative use and improve sleep: the YAWNS NB randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. Sep 2024. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.2731

Katmeh T, Gardner DM, Kiepek N, Macdonald M, Murphy AL. Sleep should not be this difficult: an interpretive descriptive study of older adults’ perspectives on behaviour change elements in Sleepwell and experiences with benzodiazepine discontinuation. J Sleep Res. Jun 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14282

Murphy AL, Turner JP, Rajda M, Allen KG, Gardner DM. Prescriber acceptability of a direct-to-patient intervention for benzodiazepine receptor agonist deprescribing and behavioural management of insomnia in older adults. Can J Aging. Mar 2024. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980824000114

2023

Murphy AL, Turner JP, Rajda M, Allen KG, Pinter K, Gardner DM. Effectiveness and cost analysis of methods used to recruit older adult sedative users to a deprescribing randomized controlled trial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. Mar 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2022.100214

2026

Gardner D. How to get a good night’s sleep without sleeping pills. Alzheimer Society of Ontario Speaker Series. Virtual. Jan 2026.

Gardner D, Murphy A. Falling for sedatives in Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Collaborative on Injury Prevention. Virtual. Jan 2026.

2025

Gardner D. Evidence-based strategies for improving sleep. Government of New Brunswick Mental Health Learning Series. Virtual. Dec 2025.

Gardner D. Sleepwell’s Sleep Therapy Program: A workbook for people living with insomnia. Training Program. Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association. Calgary, AB. Oct 2025.

Gardner D. What’s new in the treatment of insomnia. Fibromyalgia Association Canada. National Webinar. Oct 2025.

Gardner D, Murphy A. The Ground Is Shifting: New Light on the Tectonic Changes in Insomnia Care. Pharmaceutical Society of Iceland. Reykjavík, Iceland. Aug 2025.

Murphy A, Gardner D. Modernizing pharmacists’ insomnia care to align with practice guidelines. Nordic Social Pharmacy Conference. Glasgow, Scotland. Jun 2025.

Murphy A, Gardner D. Assessment and Management of Sleep Disorders in the Community. PEI Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting and Continuing Education Conference. Charlottetown, PE. May 2025.

Davidson J, Fretz K, Gardner D, Lynch S, Desmarais E, Watson S, Sloan E. Insomnia care on every corner: a stepped care approach. Canadian Sleep Society Conference. Montreal, QC. Mar 2025.

Samis S, Lam J, Gardner D, Dormuth C. Appropriate Use Coast to Coast. Quality Forum. Health Quality BC. Vancouver, BC. Mar 2025.

2024

Gardner D. Modernizing insomnia care to align with practice guidelines. Canadian Pharmacists Association National Webinar Series. Dec 2024.

Gardner D. Direct-to-Patient Health Promotion to Reduce Sedative-Hypnotic Use – the YAWNS NB trial. Healthy Seniors Pilot Project (HSPP) Symposium. Fredericton, NB. Nov 2024.

Gardner D. Stopping long-term BZRA use in older adults with direct-to-patient mailed interventions: effectiveness and safety. Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference. Hamilton, ON. Nov 2024.

Gardner D, Eberhardt De Master L, Murphy A. Insomnia treatment and resource update for aligning your practice with current guidelines. Dalhousie Annual Fall Refresher. Halifax, NS. Nov 2024.

Gardner D, MacLellan C. Direct-to-Patient Health Promotion to Reduce Sedative-Hypnotic Use. Your Answers When Needing Sleep in New Brunswick – Stakeholder Meeting. Fredericton, NB. Nov 2024.

Rajda M, Gardner D, Murphy A, Turner JP, Magalhaes S. Factors associated with sedative discontinuation in the YAWNS NB study of direct-to-patient interventions promoting sedative-to-behaviour therapy transitions for insomnia. European Sleep Research Society. Seville, Spain. Sep 2024.

Gardner D. Transforming insomnia care with a direct-to-patient mailed sedative deprescribing intervention. International Conference on Deprescribing (ICOD-2). Nantes, France. Sep 24.

Gardner D. Sleepwell – a simple, effective, direct-to-patient intervention for improved sleep and reduced use of sedatives in older adults. Age-Well APPTA Canada Community of Practice Presentation to National Stakeholders. Virtual. Feb 24.

2023

Gardner D, Marcoux G. Sleepwell – It’s no dream. Sleep well without sleeping pills. Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network National Conference. Montreal, QC. Nov 2023.

Watson S, Gardner D, Davidson J, Desmarais E, Lynch S. Treating chronic insomnia without medications in primary care. College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Family Medicine Forum. Montreal, QC. Nov 2023.

Gardner D, Murphy A. Transforming Insomnia Care. Let’s Keep Talking Awards event. Keynote address. Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS. Oct 2023.

Gardner D. A simple, effective, direct-to-patient intervention for sedative deprescribing in older adults. Canadian Association on Gerontology Annual Conference. Toronto, ON. Oct 2023.

Gardner D. Transitioning from sedatives to behavioural interventions for insomnia in primary care. Choosing Wisely Canada National Meeting. Toronto, ON. May 2023.

Gardner D. YAWNS NB – a RCT of direct-to-patient mailed interventions to reduce sedative-hypnotic use in older adults. Canadian Sleep Society National Conference. Ottawa, ON. Apr 23.

Gardner D. Insomnia management in primary care: enabling CBTi use and sedative deprescribing. Canadian Sleep Society National Conference. Ottawa, ON. Apr 2023.

Sloan E, Fretz K, Gardner D, Watson S, Lynch S, Davidson J. A Canadian stepped care model for interprofessional insomnia care to improve access to CBT-I and deprescribing. Canadian Sleep Society National Conference. Ottawa, ON. Apr 2023.

Atlantic Menopause Show, Oct 2025, Halifax, NS

Alzheimer’s Community Week, Sep 2024, Dartmouth, NS

Therapeutics Education Collaboration – the Best Science (BS) Medicine Podcast. Episode 597: Insomnia – hours of sleep is not the goal!. Jan 2025.

Therapeutics Education Collaboration – the Best Science (BS) Medicine Podcast. Episode 598: Insomnia – hours of sleep is not the goal! – PART II. Jan 2025.

CBC – The Current with Matt Galloway. Conquering insomnia without medication. Feb 17, 2025.

Canadian Family Physician (CFP) Podcast. Deprescribing sedatives: a discussion with two pharmacists. Jun 2024.

CBC – The Current (Catherine Zhu). Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? There’s an alternative to meds, experts say. Feb 2025.

Maisonneuve (Ayesha Habib). Rude awakening. Jul 2024.

CTV News (Paul Hollingsworth). Halifax based pharmacists lead effort to move people towards healthier solutions for insomnia. Oct 2023.