Talia Shapero Adult Sleep Coaching Services

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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 Street 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.

02/22/2026

Reasons couples sleep apart:
◾Snoring
◾Chronotypes
◾Temperature
◾Work schedules/sleep schedules
◾Children or pets
◾Differences in sleep habits (eg tv, laptop, phone)

I always find it interesting that as a society, sleeping apart is still stigmatized and even viewed as a failure in a relationship.

Growing up, my grandparents always slept in different bedrooms but had one of the most loving relationships I’ve ever seen. My grandfather snored like a mother*&$ and my grandmother knew that sleeping in a bed together was untenable and they were fortunate to have space to separate. My grandmother was also a confident badass and didn’t give a toss what anyone else thought. Despite the fact that he probably should have gotten screened and tested for sleep apnea, this arrangement worked for them.

I’m hoping that with increased awareness about the importance of sleep, the public will soften their view towards sleeping apart.

It’s not just about snoring. Some people are morning larks while some are night owls. Shift work may mean that someone has to wake up in the middle of the night to get to work or come home in the early hours, which may be disruptive to a sleeping partner. Room or bed temperature can play a big role when one likes it hot and the other likes it cool for sleep. Furry critters or small children may sleep in their parents’ bed and sometimes three’s a crowd! I’m pretty militant about no screens in bed but my husband loves scrolling and streaming later at night and this would drive me crazy if he did it in bed while I’m trying to get some shut eye.

So it’s complicated and multifactorial but the message I want to get across is DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTNER and try and work together towards sleep solutions instead of doing what society thinks you should do.

02/18/2026

Did you know that women are 3x as likely to suffer from insomnia if they have a snoring partner?

I have always been a light sleeper and I know that if I had a bed partner that snored, it would be a thorn in our relationship that we would have to address. Too often, when there is a snorer in a couple, they often aren’t aware of what they sound like or what the impact their snoring has because, well, they’re asleep. As a result, the person who has to listen to it ends up feeling frustrated, cranky and perhaps resentful and hopeless due to the situation and depending on how their partner responds. While sleeping in another room is a potential solution, most people don’t have the luxury of this option and/or feel that sleeping apart is problematic for other reasons.

Apart from the annoying disruption that snoring may cause to a bed partner, the person who snores may be at risk for a sleep-disordered breathing problem. Snoring should not be the norm yet society still views it as something that is cute (with kids) or annoying and/or funny (with adults). There are a range of different factors that may contribute to snoring (eg. medication, alcohol, weight gain) and snoring is often (but not always) a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder to have if left untreated.

So if you have a partner that snores, instead of taking an attack approach (ie. “You’re driving me crazy, I can’t sleep or function during the day with you making all this noise!!), perhaps guide the conversation from a place of care and concern. Let them know that snoring is not a typical sleep behaviour and you’re worried that they may not be getting the oxygen they need at night, which may lead to other complications and suggest booking an appt with a doctor.

02/14/2026

What’s the best gift of all you can give to your snoring partner on Valentine’s Day? How about a requisition for a sleep study?!

As uns*xy as this sounds, having a partner who snores may wreck havoc on your relationship in a number of ways.

Snoring can be a big red flag for sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that can cause irritability, mood swings and erectile dysfunction. Studies show that couples who are under-slept are more likely to fight with their partners and less likely to resolve difficult conflicts productively. And for the partner who has been up all night listening to their partner snoring? I’m thinking they may be less likely to want to heat it up in the bedroom on Valentine’s Day (or any other night!).

Some people talk about a “sleep divorce” when it comes to snoring and while I’m not entirely against this concept in the short term, I do believe that it’s more of a band aid solution and that the underlying cause of snoring should be addressed to fix the issue in the long term.

So on this Valentine’s Day, take your loved one to your GP!

12/31/2025

2025 almost wrapped up.

The end of the year is always a good time to reflect. What went well. What didn’t. What can be changed for next year.

January represents a time for new beginnings and change.

So what does this have to do with sleep?

Part of my job is to help people implement small, impactful changes over time that will have a compounding positive effect on their sleep and overall well-being. After I complete an initial assessment, I have a back end laundry list of things that my clients can change but I don’t give them this info all at once. Why? Because humans aren’t great at making big changes in one go. Think about the classic post new years resolution of hitting the gym several times a week after an indulgent holiday season. The first week you’ll go 3-4 times and feel great. The next week you’ll make it twice (things got busy at work!) then maybe once the following week and on week 4 you’re feeling unmotivated and disappointed that you couldn’t reach your stretch goal.

That’s why when I set targets with my clients, I make them achievable, practical and realistic, and individualized. This makes them feel good and motivates them towards continued small scale change that pays back increasing dividends.

So if you’re someone who is looking to improve their sleep but is worried about having to transform their life and habits to do so? Fear no more, that’s not my style! Give me a call and I’d be happy to chat to you about making positive changes for your sleep in 2025.

12/26/2025

Why is it that the most wonderfully perceived time of year when we’re together with family is also considered the most stressful time of year?

The answer is complex and differs for many (simple answer, it all goes back to our childhood?!) but the reality is, for many, the holiday period brings stress that can stop people from sleeping.

To fall asleep and stay asleep, your body needs to be in a calm, relaxed zone. The rest and digest response of your nervous system (ie the parasympathetic) needs to be activated. Stress and anxiety however, activate the fight or flight response, making it more difficult to sleep well.

One of the best ways to switch off the stress response (ie sympathetic branch of our nervous system) and activate the rest and digest response is through deep, diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Now breathing won’t solve all your problems but it will nudge your body from a physiological standpoint to get better prepped and relaxed for sleep.

I love the box breathing technique because it’s simple and can be done at any time, anywhere.

While this breathing technique can be practiced any time throughout the day, I often encourage my clients to integrate breath work into their pre-bedtime wind down routine to help induce a relaxation response for their mind and body. If you haven’t done breathwork before though, you may want to practice it first in the daytime, when the stakes are lower.

INSTRUCTIONS
Start breathing in and out in your regular state for a few rounds and notice how it feels and where your breath is coming from. Focus on taking breaths further down in your diaphragm, so that your belly is expanding when breathing in and contracting (moving up and in towards the rib cage) when you’re breathing out. You can place a hand on your belly for feedback assistance. Start breathing in through your nose and out through the mouth.
Inhale through the nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Repeat 3 more times (or for as long as you’d like).

12/22/2025

For optimal sleep, turn your sleep environment into a cave - it should be cool, dark and quiet.

A couple tips:
-keep your room temperature cool at night, between 18-21 degrees C (your core body temp needs to be cool in order to fall asleep)
-consider using multiple thin layers of bedding so that you can fine tune your temperature throughout the night
-Use black out blinds or eye shades to block out any light coming in (also helps keep those melatonin levels high!)
-place your phone in another room and/or if you have an alarm clock, turn it away from you
-use earplugs or white noise to block out any disrupting sounds that might wake you up
-reserve your bed and bedroom for sleep and s*x only (if possible) to help stengthen the mental connection between bed and sleep

12/18/2025

Dec 18th
The alcohol-sleep paradox
As the holidays are coming up, I’d like to dispel the myth that alcohol puts you to sleep. While it does make you more relaxed and feel sleepy, it does not put you into a natural state of sleep as we know it. It rather sedates you like anesthesia does.

So what? What’s the difference? Why should you care?

The problem with an alcohol-fueled sleep is many-fold:
It fragments your sleep
It shortens your sleep
It robs you of deep, restorative sleep stages
It causes airway restriction (think snoring)
It dehydrates you
It leaves you feeling unrefreshed the next day, irritable, foggy-brained, the list goes on…

BUT…sometimes it’s worth it. And that’s ok. Part of my job as a sleep coach is to meet my clients where they are and look at their sleep habits and life from a top down, holistic perspective. While I know what alcohol can do to my sleep, I also recognize the benefits of going out with friends and having a few drinks and how that fills my cup in other ways that contributes to my overall well-being. So be kind to yourself this season but if you find that you’re using alcohol on an ongoing basis as a crutch for sleep, you may want to recalibrate in the new year.

12/14/2025

As we’re midway through the darkest month of the year, it’s more important than ever to ensure we’re getting enough bright light during the day, which helps strengthen our circadian rhythm and thus our sleep/wake cycle (and also improves our mood and energy levels). Light cues from the environment help our brain and body recognize when it is day and night and with the presence OR absence of light, our body releases alerting OR sleep hormones, such as melatonin and cortisol.

Consider doing the following to help ensure you’re getting enough light AND at the right time to regulate your sleep system:
◾get bright light exposure in the morning - natural sunlight is best within the first couple of hours of waking. 15-30 minutes is ideal with NO sunglasses but if that’s not possible, turn on bright lights in the home immediately upon waking and keep light levels high throughout the day.
◾get another boost of sunshine throughout the day. Midday is best but even popping outside for a few minutes at a time will send those signals to your brain that it is still daytime.
◾a few hours before bedtime, dim the lights in your home or use lamps instead of bright overhead lights.
◾an hour before bed, turn off devices that emit blue light (eg TVs, phone, computers). Blue light can suppress the production of melatonin, which is necessary for sleep.
◾keep your bedroom dark - turn your alarm clock away from you, install room darkening blinds or curtains or use eye shades if you are sensitive to light

12/10/2025

Sleep is a time when our mind and body repairs and restores itself and included in that restoration is the repair and rejuvenation of our skin. During the night, our body enters recovery mode and it clears away toxins and other things that we don’t need and creates new cells that help heal our skin from any damage done during the day.

So get your beauty sleep.

12/06/2025

Women have a 40% higher chance of insomnia and are more than twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of restless legs syndrome than men. Women also tend to have higher rates of persistent, chronic insomnia and exhibit more symptoms that impact their day-to-day lives, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, mood disturbances, and trouble concentrating.

Why do women have more sleep disturbances than men?
◾hormonal differences
◾higher rates of anxiety and depression
◾shorter circadian rhythms
◾gender expectations

12/02/2025

Is your busy brain keeping you up at night?

Anxiety and ruminating thoughts at night is one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients. Our minds need to be in a relaxed state in order to fall asleep and stressors from our days that get pushed aside often bubble up at night, right at the time we want to get to sleep.

A practice I recommend for clients to try out is called “Constructive Worry Time,” developed by Dr. Coleen Carney. The idea behind it is that you pick a dedicated time of day to write down your thoughts, worries, to-do lists etc and then those thoughts are parked for the day, leaving your brain in a clearer space to welcome sleep. There’s something that happens when you physically put pen to paper - your subconscious has dealt with the issue, clearing your mind until the next day and allowing your body to let go.

If anxiety is keeping you up at night, feel free to get in touch with me for a complimentary, no obligation 20 min call to find out how sleep coaching services might benefit you.

11/28/2025

I had such a great time presenting to community members at De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre's annual Diabetes and Well-Being Symposium!

There is an important interconnected relationship between diabetes and sleep that many are not aware of. Poor sleep potentially increases the risk of developing diabetes, and diabetes itself can impact sleep quality. Specifically, sleep disorders like sleep apnea are more common in individuals with diabetes, and sleep problems can make existing conditions like insulin resistance worse. But there is good news! And that's because sleep is a modifiable behaviour, it means that by improving your sleep, you may also be able to improve diabetic outcomes.

Address

822 Richmond Street West Suite 102
Toronto, ON

Website

http://www.taliashapero.com/

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