Sleep
Complete Better Sleep Course
A complete, practical sleep course: a two-week sleep diary, wind-down planner and bedroom checklist to build sleep habits that last.
A$44.99Buy
Sleep courses for steadier, more restful nights
Two courses that help you understand your own sleep pattern, build a routine that suits you and know when a sleep problem is worth taking to your GP.
- 2 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Healthdirect says most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Older adults need roughly the same amount as younger adults but tend to sleep more lightly and wake more often. Short or broken sleep now and then is normal; what matters is the pattern over weeks, and how you feel and function during the day.
Everyday habits play a big part. Caffeine can stay in your system for hours, so a mid-afternoon coffee may still affect you at bedtime; Healthdirect suggests healthy adults have no more than about 400 mg a day. Screens, an irregular wake-up time, a warm bedroom and worry can all keep you awake. Menopause can bring night sweats and early waking, which the menopause sleep course covers in detail.
Our sleep courses are education, not a diagnosis. They help you collect a clear two-week picture of your sleep and try small changes one at a time. They never ask you to start, stop or change sleeping tablets or other medicines: that conversation belongs with your GP or pharmacist.
All sleep courses
Sleep
Sleep and Menopause
Practical help for menopause nights: a night symptom diary, bedroom cooling checklist, wind-down plan and a back-to-sleep routine.
A$27.99Buy
Which sleep course is for you
- General sleep trouble? The Complete Better Sleep Course covers sleep timing, the bedroom, caffeine, screens, worry and wind-down routines, starting with a two-week diary.
- Waking hot or early in midlife? Sleep and Menopause focuses on night sweats, cooling the bedroom and getting back to sleep, with a GP prep sheet.
Keep the same wake-up time every day for two weeks, weekends included, before you judge any other change. A steady morning anchor makes the rest of the diary easier to read.
What the sleep tools do
- Two-week sleep diary: bedtime, wake time, night waking and how rested you felt, charted over 14 days.
- Sleep efficiency calculator: compares time asleep with time in bed, a figure many sleep services use.
- Wind-down routine planner: build a 30 to 60 minute routine you can repeat each night.
- Bedroom checklist and caffeine and screen tracker: spot the easy changes first.
- Night symptom diary and cooling checklist: for night sweats and early waking in menopause.
- When-to-see-a-GP checker: signs that suggest your sleep needs a medical look.
When to see your GP about sleep
Book a GP appointment if:
- poor sleep has lasted for several weeks and is affecting your days
- someone notices you snore loudly and stop breathing, choke or gasp in your sleep
- you feel very sleepy during the day, or nod off while driving or at work
- you have an uncomfortable urge to move your legs in the evening or at night
- low mood or worry is keeping you awake
Do not drive if you feel drowsy. If you are struggling to cope, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at any hour, or 000 in an emergency.
Sleep courses: your questions
How much sleep do adults need?
Healthdirect says most adults need about 7 to 9 hours a night. Needs vary a little from person to person, so how you feel during the day is a useful guide.
Does caffeine really affect sleep?
It can. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate, and its effects can last for hours. Healthdirect suggests healthy adults have no more than about 400 mg a day, and many people sleep better with none after lunch.
Will the sleep diary tell me if I have a sleep disorder?
No. It gives you and your GP a clear picture of your sleep, but only a health professional can assess a sleep disorder. Many people find the diary makes that conversation much easier.
Can I do the course if I take sleeping tablets?
Yes. The course covers habits and routines only, and never asks you to change your medicines. Keep taking them as prescribed, and talk to your GP or pharmacist if you have questions.
What is sleep efficiency?
It is the share of your time in bed that you spend asleep. The calculator works it out from your diary, which helps you see whether the problem is getting to sleep, staying asleep or spending long hours in bed awake.
Official sources
Start your sleep diary tonight
Open the better sleep course, read the first lesson and log tonight's sleep before you check your phone tomorrow.