Sleep deprivation treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes, a doctor from Maple will be able to offer sleep deprivation treatment options, but only after you’ve received a sleep deprivation diagnosis.

The doctor will most likely request additional testing and to meet with a sleep specialist before offering a sleep deprivation diagnosis or any kinds of prescription sleep deprivation medications.

In addition to help from a general practitioner, if you live in Ontario, you can get a specialty consultation with one of our registered sleep technologists in 24 hours or less.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe sleep deprivation medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Sleep deprivation is a condition that occurs if you aren’t getting enough sleep.

While each person may require different amounts of sleep, in order to function normally, the CDC recommends that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

It’s currently believed that roughly 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting enough sleep.

The most common symptoms and signs of sleep deprivation include:

• Fatigue or exhaustion
• Mood swings or changes
• Irritability
• Difficulty remembering
• Difficulty focusing
• Reduced sexual drive
• Lowered reaction times

There are a number of sleep deprivation causes, which could result in less sleep or the inability to sleep during normal resting hours. Some of these include:

• Using electronic devices close to bedtime
• Stress from work (meeting deadlines, learning new tasks, starting a new position, etc.)
• Shift work (or rotating schedules, which prevent regular sleep schedules)
• Chronic pain
• Sleep apnea
• Mental health issues (such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or schizophrenia)
• Caring for another person during the night (commonly affecting new parents and those caring for sick patients or the elderly)
• Substance misuse or abuse
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Obesity
• Bruxism (grinding teeth while asleep)
• Narcolepsy

Before offering a sleep deprivation diagnosis, the doctor will likely want to discuss your medical history, perform a physical exam, and talk about your current sleeping habits.

To help determine the specific causes of your sleep deprivation, the doctor may have you visit a sleep specialist, as well as request a sleep study or a polysomnogram.

Once they’ve determined the root of your sleep deprivation causes, the doctor will be able to offer sleep deprivation treatment options.

There are a number of different sleep deprivation treatments that the doctor could suggest for you, depending on what they believe the sleep deprivation causes could be.

If the doctor believes your signs of sleep deprivation could be caused by an underlying condition, they’ll try to determine what condition is causing your sleep deprivation so they can treat it at its source.

The doctor may want to try some natural strategies to help you sleep before suggesting prescription sleep deprivation medications. Some of these strategies include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Relaxation techniques (breathing exercises, meditation, guided imagery, etc.)
• Limited caffeine or alcohol consumption, especially close to bedtime
• Staying off electronic devices for 30 minutes before bed, and not keeping them near the bedside
• Avoiding tobacco use
• Getting regular exercise
• Avoiding food for 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Establishing a consistent sleep schedule and routine
• Using a mouth guard (to avoid bruxism)
• Keeping the bedroom, dark, cool and quiet
• White noise machines
• Anti-snore devices (such as nasal strips, or an anti-snore chin strap)
• Wedge pillows

Sleep deprivation can be crippling to your day-to-day life. If you believe that sleep deprivation is beginning to negatively affect your daily activities, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about it and discuss some possible sleep deprivation treatments.

This is especially important if you have chronic sleep deprivation issues. Long-term, untreated sleep deprivation can increase the risks of experiencing:

• Stroke
• Heart attacks
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Sleep apnea
• Psychosis
• Depression or anxiety

These other conditions can be dangerous, and in rare cases life-threatening. If you believe you’re experiencing chronic symptoms of sleep deprivation, talk to your doctor right away.