Course
Sleep Better: A Hands-On Training Course
Fifteen short lessons on how sleep works and evidence-based ways to sleep better, from morning light to CBT-I, plus quick techniques and a look at supplements.
This course is general information, not medical advice. If you have ongoing sleep problems, loud snoring with pauses or gasping, or sleepiness that affects driving or work, see your doctor. In Australia, if you are struggling or feel unsafe, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
About sleep
- Most adults need 7 or more hours a night; teenagers 8 to 10
- Sleep runs in cycles of about 90 minutes: deep sleep early in the night, more REM (dreaming) sleep towards morning
- Light, timing and routine set your body clock; caffeine and alcohol quietly undo good sleep
- For long-term insomnia, CBT-I (a short, structured program) is the recommended first treatment, ahead of sleeping pills
Trusted information
- Sleep Health Foundation (Australia) ↗
- healthdirect: insomnia ↗
- THIS WAY UP free online insomnia program ↗
- VP Human Performance Collective: wearable-based coaching ↗
- Sleep Foundation: how sleep works ↗
- Andrew Huberman: Toolkit for Sleep ↗
- Andrew Huberman's book, Protocols (2026) ↗
Prefer to watch or listen?
- Sleep Is Your Superpower ↗ Matt Walker, TED
- Why do we sleep? ↗ Russell Foster, TED
- Andrew Huberman: My Exact Routine To Optimize Brain & Body (podcast, Sept 2026) ↗ The Diary of a CEO
Lessons
- How to use this course
- Why sleep matters
- How sleep works
- How much sleep you need
- Light and your body clock
- Caffeine, alcohol, food, water and exercise
- Set up your bedroom
- Winding down
- Switching off, hobbies and the Blue Zones
- Waking in the night
- Can't sleep? The CBT-I toolkit
- Tracking your sleep with wearables
- Naps, shift work and jet lag
- Sleep medicines and when to see a doctor
- Your two-week sleep reset
- The toolkit: sneaky techniques and supplements
- Quick reference and sources
- Appendix: Sleep terms