A Good Night’s Sleep

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, yet many of us don’t consider how crucial mattresses are to our health. Studies show that the quality of a mattress can affect spinal alignment, back and joint pain, stress levels, and whether or not we get a good night’s sleep. Inadequate or insufficient sleep is linked to a host of physical and mental health problems, from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to depression and anxiety.

In remote communities across Northern Canada, where the majority of the population lives below the poverty line, having a new, comfortable mattress to sleep on is only a dream. Living in a remote community means that shipping costs are exorbitant, and new mattresses are hard to come by.

In many First Nations, hamlets, and towns across northern Canada, people sleep on the floor, on thin pieces of foam, or on hand-me-down mattresses that are over 15 years old.

True North Aid receives frequent requests for new mattresses from various communities, prompting us to launch a national mattress campaign.

Fulfilling these requests will help to ensure that children, parents, Elders, and other individuals living in remote communities across northern Canada have a good night’s sleep – contributing not only to their physical and mental health, but also a sense of hope.