Talia Shapero Adult Sleep Coaching Services

Talia Shapero Adult Sleep Coaching Services Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Talia Shapero Adult Sleep Coaching Services, Health & Wellness Website, 822 Richmond St West suite 102, Toronto, ON.

As a sleep coach, I help identify the imbalances that are impacting your quality of sleep and put together a plan to get your sleep on-track for lifelong improvement.

In my previous post I mentioned the pros and cons of using a sleep tracker. In my practice however, I notice that sleep...
08/25/2025

In my previous post I mentioned the pros and cons of using a sleep tracker. In my practice however, I notice that sleep trackers carry a risk in terms of people becoming hyper focused on the data they present, which can often cause anxiety and make sleep worse.

Those who work in the sleep world are seeing this trend so much, that they have coined a term for this: Orthosomnia.

‘Ortho’ meaning straight or correct, and ‘somnia’ meaning sleep, this condition describes people who are preoccupied or concerned with improving or perfecting their wearable sleep data. It is an obsessive quest to optimize sleep quality and sleep quantity that is driven by sleep tracker data. This perfectionist pursuit to achieve flawless sleep may lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with it.

The reality is that sleep is not a static activity that you can perfect every night. Even a sleep expert like myself won’t score a perfect sleep rating every night. And that’s because there are so many internal and external factors that control and influence your sleep.

And if you’re someone who is chronically having trouble getting to sleep or feeling energized during the day, looking at your sleep tracker is not going to help. You already know you’re not sleeping well and having a machine that confirms this is likely going to exacerbate the issue and may actually increase your chances of developing insomnia. If you already feel preoccupied and anxious about your sleep, then you’re probably not a good candidate for a sleep tracker….yet.

Taking a personalized, holistic and integrated approach to dealing with sleep issues is key but once your sleep is stabilized, a sleep tracker may very well be useful to further optimize your sleep and other areas of your well-being.

To learn more about sleep trackers and how they may help or hinder your sleep, check out my blog - link in bio.
https://www.taliashapero.com/blog/sleep-trackers-and-orthosomnia

In today’s world, we’re more obsessed and bombarded with information than ever before.27.9% of US internet users use mob...
08/21/2025

In today’s world, we’re more obsessed and bombarded with information than ever before.

27.9% of US internet users use mobile apps to track their fitness and health and the use of sleep trackers specifically is on the rise.

Around 1 in 3 Americans use a sleep tracker. Sleep quality tracking is a leading segment, accounting for 37% of the market.

Sometimes tracking data serves us well and sometimes it doesn’t.

I’m not pro or anti sleep tracker. I think they can be useful to flag up certain issues for certain people. For example, identifying chronic sleep deprivation or detecting disordered breathing (ie sleep apnea). And I actually think trackers can be a useful tool to evaluate and optimize sleep through other areas of wellness for a person who already sleeps well. For example, evaluating the timing of workouts on sleep quality.

BUT - I approach sleep trackers with caution. Measurement does not always equal appropriate intervention. Not all tech companies are regulated so there’s not always full transparency in terms of data reliability. And sleep trackers carry a risk in terms of people becoming hyper focused on the data they present, which can often cause anxiety and make sleep worse.

To learn more about sleep trackers and how they may help or hinder your sleep, check out my blog “Sleep Tracking and Orthosomnia” - link in bio.
https://www.taliashapero.com/blog/sleep-trackers-and-orthosomnia

Thanks magazine for the interview and for featuring such an important topic in your issue!If you have a bed partner and...
08/18/2025

Thanks magazine for the interview and for featuring such an important topic in your issue!

If you have a bed partner and one of you can’t sleep well, it can affect the whole couple dynamic. Because sleep (or lack thereof) impacts emotional regulation, communication skills and empathy levels, it may have a significant effect on your relationship if one or both of you aren’t getting the rest that you need.

The good news is that there are always solutions to couples’ sleep issues! Read on to find out more about the bidirectional links between sleep and relationships and what you can do inside and outside the bedroom to strengthen yours.

Link in bio or click here: https://www.canadianliving.com/health-fitness/sleep/article/this-sleeping-arrangement-is-becoming-more-common-improves-your-relationships

Living

All set up and ready to go!Thank you to the for inviting me back to their annual Employee Wellness Summit! I had a wond...
08/12/2025

All set up and ready to go!

Thank you to the for inviting me back to their annual Employee Wellness Summit! I had a wonderful time conducting micro consults and presenting to the group about sleep disrupting factors and how to tackle sleep issues.

Sleep challenges can be compounded for those working in the hospitality sector. Atypical work schedules, low light levels and rotating shifts are a few factors that can throw a person’s sleep off. I loved meeting the staff and giving them background knowledge about sleep and actionable sleep tips they could walk away with.

Did you know that about 9% of American adults currently use a cannabis product as a sleep aid and 23% of American adult...
08/09/2025

Did you know that about 9% of American adults currently use a cannabis product as a sleep aid and 23% of American adults are likely to try cannabis products as a sleep aid?

As w**d has become legal in an increasing number of countries, it’s not surprising that people are more drawn to it to help fix their sleep. The thing is, we don’t have enough research to support whether it’s the magic bullet people are purporting to be.

The budding research (pun intended!) shows that while cannabis use may increase deep sleep in the short term, it also suppresses REM sleep and over time, it may mess up sleep architecture. To achieve healthy sleep, we need to cycle through all stages on a consistent basis. That said, there is also preliminary research that supports cannabis use as a sleep aid for certain conditions and population.

I love ma*****na. I have always loved w**d. For a variety of reasons: Fun. Therapy. Relaxation. However - in the depths of my insomnia, I became heavily reliant on it and would need to consume it right before bed and then I would wake in the middle of the night and take it again. If I was in a place where I couldn’t access it, my anxiety would go through the roof, which impacted my sleep even worse. And my sleep was garbage regardless of what crutches I used. Part of my treatment was to wean off cannabis as a sleep aid as I had an unhealthy dependance on it. This is one of my greatest feats. Over time, I gained confidence in my body’s natural ability to sleep and sleep without it.

So many people believe that they need to use various crutches and hacks to get to sleep, whether it’s alcohol, w**d, sleeping pills, melatonin, sleepy time tea, etc…The thing is, these crutches are often masking the underlying causes of their sleep issues.

I’m not anti cannabis (I still love it!) but now I’m wary of using it as a sleep aid. But I’m also excited to see more studies completed on larger population samples in order to accurately judge its effectiveness. For now, the jury is still out…

https://www.thensf.org/cannabis-for-sleep/ #:~:text=In%20a%20nationally%20representative%20survey,who%20did%20not%20report%20using

You’re not alone. In fact, a recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that nearly 3 in 4 (74%)...
08/06/2025

You’re not alone. In fact, a recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that nearly 3 in 4 (74%) report sometimes, always, or often experience disrupted sleep due to stress, and over 2 in 3 (68%) report losing sleep due to anxiety. The survey also found that over half of Americans (55%) report sometimes, always, or often experience disrupted sleep due to depression.

This is unsurprising, given the deep interconnected relationship between sleep and mental health. Stress can stop you from sleeping and as a result of poor sleep, your cortisol levels may rise, your mood may be affected and you may become less resilient to deal with stressors. It becomes this vicious cycle.

How you deal (or don’t deal) with stress during the day can impact your nights. For me, anxiety has always been my biggest impediment to sleep.

So what do I do as a sleep coach to manage my stress during the day so it doesn’t creep up into the night in the form of racing thoughts that keep me from sleeping?

◾I take a few 2 minute daily pauses in the daytime where I unplug from all my devices and noise and so something called a 5 senses grounding activity (this helps reset my nervous system)
◾I make a to-do list at the end of my work day for the following day
◾I go tech-free an hour before bed and try not to engage in any overly stimulating activities
◾I implement a nightly wind down routine that sends relaxing signals to my brain or body (tidy my room, do a few rounds of deep breathing, read)

To read more about the findings, read here: https://aasm.org/stress-anxiety-and-depression-survey-shows-mental-health-conditions-disrupt-a-majority-of-americans-sleep/?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_5TIMuT1Q6j6RjIbda0TgU-ioHH0SMGE2cWv6ykxfMWBc3FKPHiq7atxD47XEsCIYqriR0vJeMu0PO8QYpqNPTKGP0LA&_hsmi=363031645&utm_content=363031645&utm_source=hs_email

Can you use exercise to shift your circadian rhythm?There is some research to support this:Morning treadmill runs (aroun...
08/02/2025

Can you use exercise to shift your circadian rhythm?

There is some research to support this:

Morning treadmill runs (around 7 AM) or exercise in the early afternoon can help shift your rhythm forward, making it easier to go to bed earlier.
Running between 7 PM and 10 PM has been shown to have the opposite effect, delaying your rhythm (due to raised core body temp)

The intensity of your workout may also play a role in your sleep:
Moderate evening aerobic exercise and resistance training timed about 4 hours before bed can improve your sleep.
Intense aerobic exercise should be carried out in the afternoon to not disrupt your rest.

*Tip: While evening exercise can benefit you, try to keep it moderate and rest for at least 1-2 hours before your bedtime.

*Tip: When you're trialing out a new intervention, do the experiment over a week or two. You're not going to get accurate results or observations if you just change it up a few days. You need to look at change over time and evaluate properly as opposed to a one night trial.

"You're a sleep coach - you must sleep perfectly every night!"I hear this all time and I’m here to burst your bubble. I...
07/28/2025

"You're a sleep coach - you must sleep perfectly every night!"

I hear this all time and I’m here to burst your bubble. I am a sleep coach and I sleep well MOST of the time but not ALL the time.

Why?

Because sleep is not static and the reality is, there are things that may disrupt sleep temporarily. For me, a stressful event, hormonal changes, caffeine, and lack of daytime light exposure throws me off. Some of these factors I can control and some I can’t. And sometimes I just don’t wanna control them - eg if I’m out with friends having a few drinks late into the night, I know it’s not going to be great for my sleep but I gain benefits elsewhere and I can accept the consequences.

A mantra that I like to share with my clients is “Last night doesn’t matter.” If you have a poor night’s sleep, accept it, move on, and try not to put too much stock in it. When measuring progress towards your sleep goals, assess the last week or two and not each individual night.

To stabilize and support your sleep in the long term:
◾Get outside in the AM within 2 hours of waking for 15-30 min
◾Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day
◾Implement a pre-bedtime routine to prep your mind and body for relaxation and sleep

“I only need 4 hours of sleep and I can function perfectly." Some people wear this as a badge of honour but statisticall...
07/04/2025

“I only need 4 hours of sleep and I can function perfectly."

Some people wear this as a badge of honour but statistically speaking, they probably need more sleep - it’s just that they’ve been living this way for so long, they don’t know any different.

99% of people require approximately 7-9 hours of sleep per night to gain the full health benefits. The other 1% have a genetic short sleep mutation that makes them biologically rested and restored after 4 hours of sleep.

The thing is, if you don’t get your genomes tested (which the vast majority of us can’t/won’t!), you’ll never know for sure whether you actually have this gene or whether you’re short changing yourself of much needed rest.

When I used to sleep a few hours, I thought that this was normal for me. It wasn’t until I worked on treating my sleep issues and extended my sleep that I saw the transformative benefits - my mood lifted, my anxiety lowered, my skin looked better and I was less inflamed in my body and my concentration improved.

So if you’re consistently short changing yourself on sleep, it’s worth addressing some of the underlying causes - statistically speaking, you need more sleep. But if you’re that 1% - enjoy that extra few hours of waking life!

Do you already have RLS?I have a number of clients living with RLS and I’m constantly surprised by the lack of knowledge...
06/29/2025

Do you already have RLS?

I have a number of clients living with RLS and I’m constantly surprised by the lack of knowledge and understanding from their GPs about treatment options.

But also - I’m not that surprised. Doctors are only given on average 1-2 hours of sleep education in med school and then they get into practice and have crazy high caseloads, little time with patients and follow up is hard due to a number of different constraints. So docs - I ain’t trash talking you, I promise!

However, sometimes patients have to advocate for themselves. There have been some changes in how RLS is managed. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine released some new guidelines and I wanted to share this with you.

Highlights include:

Focus on Lifestyle Factors
-still recommended as first line of RLS management
-address factors like alcohol and caffeine intake, certain antidepressants and antihistamines, and untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

Iron Evaluation and Supplementation
-low iron is an important underlying cause of RLS
-for adults, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose is strongly recommended

Rethinking Dopamine Agonists
-long term use of pramipexole and ropinirole is no longer recommended due to risks of worsening symptoms over time
-new evidence recommends gabapentin enacarbil, gabapentin, pregabalin

Low Dose Opioids
-conditional support for low dose, extended release oxycodone (with caution)

New Therapy - Nerve Stimulation
-bilateral high frequency peroneal nerve stimulation received conditional recommendation of support

Restless leg syndrome is not considered curable but it is treatable. Lifestyle and behavioural interventions are recomm...
06/25/2025

Restless leg syndrome is not considered curable but it is treatable.

Lifestyle and behavioural interventions are recommended as the first line of RLS management.

These include:
◾leg exercises and stretching muscles
◾moderate exercise and weight loss
◾reducing ni****ne, alcohol and caffeine intake
◾acupuncture and massage
◾having a bath
◾using weighted blankets
◾experimenting with heat or cold (so like ice packs and hot compresses)
◾anxiety reduction techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga
◾positive sleep hygiene practices (eg. consistent bed and wake times, managing light exposure, etc)

Medication and/or supplementation may be appropriate in some cases and might include:
◾iron supplements
◾intravenous ferric carboxymaltose
◾gabapentin enacarbil, pregabalin
*long term use of dopamine agonists, such as pramipexole and ropinirole is no longer recommended due to risks of worsening symptoms over time
low dose opioids (*with caution)

A new nerve stimulation therapy (bilateral high frequency peroneal nerve stimulation) has been showing promising results for some people and may also be recommended.

For more information on what RLS is, how to diagnose and treat it, check out my latest blog post. Link in bio or https://www.taliashapero.com/blog/do-you-have-restless-leg-syndrome


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822 Richmond St West Suite 102
Toronto, ON

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