Understanding how sleep and
overall health are connected
Quality sleep is vital to your overall health, but it tends to be an
afterthought during visits with your doctor. Talk to your doctor about your
sleep concerns and how you feel during the next day. He or she may be able
to pinpoint other things contributing to your sleeplessness.
Be sure to talk to your doctor about the quality of your sleep, and how you feel
the next day after a night of poor sleep. Also let your physician know if you
are taking supplements or medications for your sleep. Discuss how well it
helps you to fall asleep, stay asleep and how you feel the next day.
Sleeplessness is not a natural
part of aging
Life changes as we get older, but sleep is
one thing that should stay about the
same. The Public Health Agency of
Canada recommends that people over
the age of 65 get 7-8 hours of restful
sleep every night.*
In some cases, people experience sleep
issues due to specific events or
circumstances. When these can be
anticipated it is helpful to be proactive
with your sleep rather than reactive—
your doctor can also help you in planning
for this.
*Public Health Agency of Canada. Sleep Infographic
Prioritize a conversation
with your doctor
disruptions to both your night and
day. Left untreated, it can have
serious (and avoidable) health risks.
Your doctor needs to know about
your sleep issues - don't make the
common mistake of thinking that
it's not a big deal!
Be prepared with specific
questions & answers
Lack of quality sleep affects each
person in a different way. When you
talk to your doctor, being as specific
as possible will go a long way
towards ensuring you get the
proper treatment. Use our self-
assessment tool to get familiar with
topics and questions, related to
poor sleep.
Here are some ideas to help you start the conversation with your doctor,
and ways to be prepared for the questions he or she may ask you in return.
Share the results of
your self-assessment
If you haven’t already done so, take the
self-assessment. This self-assessment is
designed to take a close look at the ways
that sleep issues may be disrupting your
life. Your doctor can use this to help
determine the right treatment for you.
Download the Doctor
Discussion Guide
Speaking with your doctor about sleep issues is an overlooked but
incredibly important step to getting proper treatment.
This helpful guide gets into the details of how to get the most out of a
conversation with your doctor. We have included sample questions,
answers you might hear, how to bring up sleeplessness, information on
treatment options, and much more.