Better Sleep Starts Here: How Sleep Works Supports Caregivers and Aging Adults During the Holidays

Jenna Fralick, BScN RN

The holiday season is beautiful, meaningful… and exhausting. For caregivers, older adults, and families supporting a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or chronic illness, December can be one of the hardest months of the year.

More responsibilities. More emotions. More sleepless nights.

At Remember When HealthCare, we see the impact of sleep loss every day. Family caregivers who are already struggling with burnout, nighttime wandering, sundowning symptoms, or 24-hour care often tell us:

“I can handle the physical care… but not the exhaustion.”

Poor sleep doesn’t just affect how you feel — it affects your mood, memory, stress level, heart health, immune system, and your ability to safely care for someone you love. Older adults experience additional sleep disruptions due to dementia progression, nighttime confusion, chronic pain, and age-related changes in sleep cycles.

This is why we’re proud to spotlight our December Community Partner:

Sleep Works — Better Sleep Starts Here

Sleep Works is a warm, welcoming sleep health practice founded by two remarkable clinicians:

🌙 Leah Corkum — Licensed Practical Nurse

🌙 Marlee Boyle — Respiratory Therapist

Together, they are certified sleep therapists specializing in helping people get back to natural, restful sleep without medications.

Their approach is grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) — a proven, evidence-based method that helps retrain the brain and body to sleep better. It’s gentle, supportive, and highly effective for real-world, everyday challenges.

They provide sleep support for:

• Older adults

• Dementia caregivers

• People experiencing chronic pain

• Women in perimenopause

• Shift workers

• Cancer survivors

• Those living with long-term insomnia

• Exhausted caregivers juggling multiple responsibilities

And the best part?

Some Sleep Works programs are fully covered by Canadian insurance providers, making care easier to access — especially during a financially stressful season.

Why Sleep Is a Lifeline for Caregivers and Families Living With Dementia & Alzheimer’s

When families come to us for respite care, dementia home care, or Alzheimer’s support, sleep is almost always part of the conversation.

Caregivers often describe:

• Waking multiple times a night

• Listening for wandering

• Responding to agitation

• Monitoring medications

• Feeling overwhelmed and overtired

• Struggling with their own insomnia

This level of hypervigilance is unsustainable.It affects:

• Emotional health

• Memory

• Decision-making

• Patience

• Immune function

• Personal relationships

• Caregiver safety

People caring for loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s are statistically more likely to experience poor sleep and burnout (CIHI, 2022).

Better sleep isn’t a luxury — it’s a survival tool.

That’s where Sleep Works makes a meaningful difference.

How Sleep Works Supports Holiday Well-Being

December routines get disrupted. Visitors come and go. Wandering increases. Sundowning worsens. Stress spikes. Caregivers sleep less.

Sleep Works supports families through:

• Virtual programs that fit unpredictable schedules

• Gentle behaviour strategies that improve sleep quality

• Tools for managing nighttime anxiety and racing thoughts

• Sleep plans tailored to caregivers and older adults

• Understanding, compassionate clinicians who “get it”

Leah and Marlee know sleep affects everything — your mood, your health, your caregiving capacity, and the way you connect with your loved ones.

A Perfect Partnership for the Holidays

Remember When HealthCare provides respite care, dementia home care, Alzheimer’s support, and in-home help for older adults and persons living with disabilities.

But even with support in place, many caregivers still struggle with:

• Insomnia

• Stress-related sleeplessness

• Nighttime caregiving fears

• Holiday overwhelm

• Difficulty winding down

• Anxiety

• Chronic fatigue

By partnering with Sleep Works, we’re giving families one more crucial layer of support — the kind that restores energy, improves coping, and helps people feel human again.

This is the heart of our December theme: You can’t pour from an empty cup — and that starts with sleep.

How to Get Started

Better sleep is possible — and accessible.If you’re a caregiver, aging adult, or someone struggling to rest, Sleep Works offers a free 15-minute consultation to see if their CBT-I program is right for you.

👉 Learn more about Sleep Works

And if you or your loved one need help at home this holiday season — whether respite care, dementia care, Alzheimer’s support, or in-home assistance — our team is here.

👉 Learn more about our Community Partners

Together, we can make this season lighter, calmer, and more supportive for families across Nova Scotia.