Sleep
Complete Better Sleep Course
Our most complete sleep course: a two-week sleep diary, sleep efficiency calculator, bedroom checklist and a guided wind-down audio.
C$34.99Buy
Sleep courses that begin with understanding your nights
Find out how you really sleep, learn what Canadian guidelines say about sleep and daily habits, and know when a sleep problem is worth taking to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.
- 2 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines include sleep as part of a healthy day, alongside activity and time spent sitting. They suggest 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep a night for adults aged 18 to 64 and 7 to 8 hours for adults 65 and older, with bedtimes and wake-up times that stay consistent from day to day.
Most people have the odd bad night, and short spells of poor sleep often settle once a busy or stressful period passes. When they do not, a sleep diary is a sensible first step: it shows patterns that are easy to miss and gives your health care provider something concrete to look at. Our courses help you keep one for two weeks, then work on the habits around it, such as a regular wind-down, a dark and quiet bedroom, and less caffeine and screen time late in the day.
The courses are educational and do not diagnose sleep disorders or recommend sleep medicines. They suit shift workers too, and one course focuses on the night sweats, waking and racing thoughts that often come with perimenopause and menopause.
All sleep courses
Sleep
Sleep and Menopause
Night sweats, waking and a racing mind: a night symptom diary, a bedroom cooling checklist and a calm back-to-sleep audio.
C$24.99Buy
Choosing a sleep course
- The Complete Better Sleep Course takes you through two weeks of tracking, a sleep efficiency calculation, a wind-down routine, a bedroom check and a caffeine and screen tracker, ending with a clear list of signs that need a health care provider.
- Sleep and Menopause looks at night sweats, waking at night and a racing mind in perimenopause and menopause, with a cooling checklist and a prep sheet for your appointment.
New parents dealing with broken nights will find practical help in the postpartum topic.
What the sleep tools do
- Two-week sleep diary: bedtime, wake-up time, night waking, naps, caffeine and alcohol, all in one record.
- Sleep efficiency calculator: works out what share of your time in bed you actually spend asleep.
- Wind-down routine planner: a calm routine of 30 to 60 minutes that starts at the same time each evening.
- Bedroom checklist: light, noise, temperature, bedding and devices, checked one at a time.
- Night symptom diary and appointment prep sheet: note what wakes you and take a clear summary to your provider.
When a sleep problem needs a professional
Arrange an appointment with your family doctor or nurse practitioner if:
- poor sleep has gone on for weeks and changing your habits has not helped
- tiredness is affecting your work, driving, relationships or mood
- someone has noticed you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp in your sleep
- you have an urge to move your legs at night, or fall asleep without warning during the day
If you feel drowsy while driving, pull over somewhere safe. If poor sleep comes with thoughts of suicide, the 9-8-8 helpline is there by phone or text whenever you need it.
Sleep courses: your questions
How much sleep do adults need?
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest 7 to 9 hours a night for adults aged 18 to 64 and 7 to 8 hours for those 65 and older, with consistent bed and wake-up times.
Can a sleep course help with insomnia?
The courses teach the everyday habits and routines that support sleep. If sleeplessness has lasted for weeks or months, talk to your health care provider, who can assess it and discuss proven approaches.
Should I take sleeping pills or sleep supplements?
The courses do not recommend any sleep aid. If you are thinking about one, including products sold without a prescription, ask your pharmacist or health care provider, especially if you take other medicines.
What does sleep efficiency mean?
It is the time you spend asleep divided by the time you spend in bed, shown as a percentage. The calculator works it out from your sleep diary so you can see whether long stretches in bed are spent awake.
I work shifts. Will the courses still work for me?
Yes. The diary and wind-down planner work around any schedule, and the lessons include ideas for sleeping in the daytime and switching between shifts.
Official sources
Start your sleep diary tonight
Two weeks of simple notes will tell you more than any single bad night.