I am 70 years of age now, and this summer I’ve had time to think about what’s important to me, in my life.

Since being retired from the “paid workforce” for 14 years, I have volunteered a lot on different boards and helped out with my church. I’m trying to do less of that and concentrate more on some personal things that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

I have just started taking art classes and I’m overcoming my fear of water by taking swimming lessons. My swimming instructors are aged 16-20 years of age. They are really good and actually quite self-aware. They tell me, when it comes to the water, everything is connected… the mind and the body. That is true in so many ways, your mental health and your physical health.

I’ve taken clonazepam and other sleep aids for a long time. Ever since I was young, I thought I was just a nervous wreck. It turns out that its name is… anxiety. I have become aware that it’s anxiety that affects my sleep. I also deal with arthritis that is genetic, in addition to sleep apnea. When my anxiety gets triggered, my sleep gets worse. My mind races and I can’t sleep.

With Sleepwell, I learned how to slowly wean off clonazepam and also started to use different techniques to make it easier for me to get to sleep. I already knew some of the techniques, but it is good to have different options that you can use when needed. Like, if you can’t sleep, get up! It’s hard to do, but it lets you clear your mind before getting back to bed and, for me, it makes for a better quality of sleep.

Learning about how sleep changes as you get older was an eye opener for me. Getting the knowledge and the technical information really helped me to understand what some of the problem might be and helped me to accept the changes as we age that we have no control over. Now, for me, I’m focused on the quality of my sleep, not the quantity. So, I’m less anxious about it now and more accepting of the issue. Just like my swim instructors said, “It’s all connected.” In my case, it’s anxiety that is causing my mind to race, which is affecting me getting to sleep, which will affect me physically the next day. I’m trying to identify what is causing the anxiety and trying to find ways of dealing with that and calming myself down, instead of reaching for sleeping pills as the solution.

Sometimes I go back to taking Clonazepam. It’s not like once you are off it, the problem is gone forever. It’s an ongoing work-in-progress. It’s helpful to understand and accept that this may happen. Now I know about how to stop it gradually and to work on my sleep. With Sleepwell I learned there are tools on the shelf I can reach for and they work. It’s up to you to make them work for you.

I began having difficulty sleeping in my mid to late 40’s. I was reluctant to take any medication but was a partner in a business and needed sleep to be able to work efficiently. I tried melatonin but it was not working. My doctor prescribed a sleeping pill which I cut in half, and it worked fine for a period of time. Eventually I was taking a whole pill and continued for several years until the dosage no longer worked for me. Again, I was prescribed a different pill which helped a bit, but I later discovered that a person can build up a tolerance to the medication.

At that point I decided it was time to try something different. This is where Sleepwell came into play, and I was determined to give it my all. I participated in the interviews, read and reread the booklet sent to me, and kept records of my sleeping habits. At first my numbers were dismal but after two weeks my percentage climbed, and I was able to get to sleep within 10 minutes even after bathroom breaks. When I had a bad night, I would leave my bedroom and read for a while.

I practice the breathing routine nightly and have added meditation which calmed my racing thoughts. I am not saying that every night is blissful sleep but 98% are, which has greatly improved my energy and stress levels. Besides eliminating the sleeping pill, I was able to remove a mild antidepressant from my daily routine.

It takes an effort to stick to the program if you don’t see immediate results. I added four more weeks of record keeping, and I am very pleased that I did.

I recommend Sleepwell highly.

I am Erin Desmarais (Social worker) and I am Stephanie Lynch (Pharmacist). We work for the Queens Family Health Team at the Kingston and Belleville sites, respectively. A big and very rewarding part of our work involves running group programs for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi).

We find Sleepwell’s resources incredibly useful and incorporate them into both our group sessions and one-on-one consultations. These tools provide our patients with practical advice and insights, helping them understand their sleep challenges better and explore potential treatment options.

What we appreciate most about Sleepwell is its personalized approach. It acknowledges that each individual has unique needs and circumstances. By offering self-led interventions alongside formal treatment options, Sleepwell instills hope in those struggling with their sleep. Patients can go to the website and come away with concrete tools to help them to improve their sleep.

We also value the important information on the website for patients and clinicians on the dangers associated with the long-term sedative use. The Stop Sleeping Pills Guide is a clear and easy to understand tool that can facilitate safe, patient-led, sedative gradual dose reduction. Clinicians can also benefit from Sleepwell’s resources and tools to help guide conversations with patients about sedative use and to assist with coaching patients through the deprescribing process.

Recently, we had a patient who was eager to join our CBTi group program but faced a waitlist. In the meantime, we directed her to mysleepwell.ca for additional support. To our delight, she reported significant improvements in her sleep within just a few months, no longer requiring the program and successfully managing to discontinue her sleep medication—a testament to Sleepwell’s accessible and practical resources.