Online dementia course
Sleep matters
1 hr 15 mins
2 weeks
Cost free
Certificate of Completion
Understand some of the issues older people have with their sleep, learn about the association between sleep and dementia and uncover ways that nurses and care workers can optimise sleep for those living in aged care.
Suitable for people working in:
Residential Care
Learning Outcomes
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the importance and role of sleep, what happens when we sleep (glymphatic system), how sleep patterns change with age and the effects of disrupted sleep
- Describe factors influencing sleep including depression, physical activity and diet, sleep apnoea, medications, light & circadian rhythms plus mental & social engagement
- Describe key points about the timing and quality of sleep - restorative sleep
- Describe the role of the following factors in assessing sleep in an older person: medications, diet and exercise, exposure to light, social & cognitive engagement, depression, pain and environmental factors
- Conduct a sleep assessment, using the SleepCog tool
- Describe a range of strategies to improve sleep in an older person
In this course, you will complete the following modules:
Module 1
Improve your understanding about the importance of sleep, the brain and sleep and the problems that can arise with poor...
Module 2
Learn more about the risk factors for disturbed sleep and how to assess the timing and quality of an older...
Module 3
Learn about some specific strategies that nurses and carers can use to help older people in their care sleep better.
Continuing Professional Development
Completion of this course provides 75 mins of continuing professional development. A Certificate of Completion is awarded upon successful completion.
Content leaders:
- Professor Sharon Naismith, NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow and Leonard P Ullman Chair in Psychology, Brain & Mind Centre and Charles Perkins Centre Chief Investigator, Centre of Research Excellence to Optimise Sleep in Brain Ageing and Neurodegeneration, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney.
- Associate Professor Christopher Gordon, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, CIRUS Centre for Sleep and Chronobiology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
- Dr Shantel Duffy, NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellow, ESSAM Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist, Brain & Mind Centre and Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney.
- Professor Elizabeth Beattie, Director, Dementia Training Australia, Aged and Dementia Care Nursing, Queensland University of Technology.
- Dr Chris Blackwell
- Professor Ron Grunstein AM
- Associate Professor Bandana Saini
- Associate Professor Delwyn Bartlett
- Dr Loren Mowszowki
Benefits of learning with DTA
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Increase your knowledge of dementia
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Ongoing access to review course content
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Real life examples to help you put knowledge into practice
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Certificate of Completion
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Continued professional development
Getting started
After enrolment, your course will appear in your Dashboard under My Enrolments. You will also receive an email with instructions to get started.
Learning with DTA
Online courses contain modules that have been grouped together based on their topic area. Each module within a course must be completed and in the defined order.
Modules can be completed individually and in any order. You may choose to complete any module, based on your areas of interest.
Some modules may have prerequisites. If a module has a prerequisite you’ll need to complete that first to ensure you have the essential prior knowledge required. Modules with a prerequisite will be clearly marked.
A Certificate of completion is awarded on successful completion of a DTA course or module. You may use this certificate toward your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Access your Certificates in your Dashboard.
Once you have logged into the DTA website, you can access your learner Dashboard by clicking the green “My Dashboard” button in the top right corner of the website. Available 24/7, your Dashboard provides access to:
- View your courses enrolments
- Begin or continue a course
- View courses you have completed
- Apply for an extension
- View Training Programs you are involved in
- Download Certificates of Completion
- Manage your personal details
Having trouble with a course or module? Please visit our Help Center to view common questions and answers. You may submit a support request by clicking the green button in the bottom left corner of the DTA website, or completing our online technical support request form.
Start now or later
Click 'Start Now' to begin any course or module right away. Not quite ready? Choose 'Start Later' to schedule a course or module to begin any date in the coming weeks. We’ll send you an email reminder when it's time to begin.
Version history
Published: | 13 Aug 2020 |
Updated: | 14 Jul 2023 |

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