BENEFITS OF ONLINE THERAPY aka TELEHEALTH It can feel a little strange to think of having a session with your doctor or psychologist via an online session or phone. COVID-19 is pushing us to be flexible and try new things, and we’re finding some unexpected benefits. We’d like to assure you that our telehealth options are: Simple: to connect for …
Treating Insomnia, how can mindfuless help?
Research is uncovering mindfulness to be a powerful aid in the quest to treat Insomnia. In recent years, there has been a huge amount of scientific interest in the benefits of mindfulness to many aspects of health and wellbeing, including Insomnia. After describing what Mindfulness is, we present some interesting summaries of clinical research trials (including one by Dr Melissa Ree from …
Sleep Tips: Get your sleep routines in order
It’s World Sleep Day this Friday March 15th, and to support this we’d like to encourage people to take a step towards building a healthy sleep routine by getting their sleep conditions in order. Give any changes you make a couple of weeks to work. Below are some of the behaviours we help our clients at Sleep Matters to implement. …
2016 Clinical Guidelines recommend that all adult Insomnia patients receive CBT-Insomnia
Insomnia is a very common health problem, affecting 10% of the adult population, but it is often viewed as a symptom of another disorder rather than a condition warranting independent clinical intervention. Further, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) recognised that the previous dichotomy of primary versus secondary insomnia does adequately describe the disorder. Indeed, DSM-5 suggests that ‘Insomnia Disorder’ should be …
Treating Insomnia to treat depression
New research shows great promise in treating people with insomnia and depression, and may ignite new excitement for an inexpensive therapy for these and other conditions. Previously, researchers and doctors believed that depression caused insomnia. Indeed, poor sleep is a diagnostic symptom of depression with about 90% of people with depression experiencing disturbed sleep. Insomnia was considered ‘secondary’ to the …
All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep!
We know that sleep is essential for health and wellbeing. Sleep supports the immune system, assists physical growth and repair, strengthens memory, and improves mood and wellbeing. Lack of sleep can contribute to feeling irritable, stressed and overwhelmed which are common experiences in our busy modern Christmases. It’s common for sleep to deteriorate during the festive period due to increased …
Results are in! Effectiveness of Sleep Matters’ group treatment for Insomnia
100s of clinical trials have lead to the recommendation that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) be the recommended first-line treatment for Insomnia. Through 2018, researchers from Curtin University, Dr Clare Rees and Ms Jamie Hardman, have analysed data from the group CBT-Insomnia program developed by Sleep Matters and run through The Marian Centre in Perth, WA. This is important research as it evaluates …
Insomnia and mortality: Results from the world’s largest study
Many poor sleepers come to our service worrying that they are at risk of serious physical illness and even death. It’s easy to see why these worries exist, with there being so much frightening information at our fingertips about the link between poor sleep and health. Contrary to popular belief, an important paper published recently, suggested that Insomnia does not increase mortality risk. …
Partner Snoring?
At some stage in our lives many of us will have a bed partner who has annoying habits that disrupt our sleep. Anyone had the quilt stolen or copped a stray elbow or knee recently? One problematic habit in particular that we often hear about in our clinical work is snoring. Snoring occurs when airflow between your nose and throat …
Australian research out this month effective insomnia treatments shifting your beliefs about sleep is key
Going to bed each night expecting to sleep badly is part of life for someone with insomnia. People with Insomnia may also believe that the day after a poor sleep will be difficult, mood will be low, important details will be forgotten, and tempers will flare. There might also be worry about sleep being out of control, and worse, worry that …
Mindfulness in May: A practical evening seminar. Tickets just $10
Many people who have trouble sleeping tell us that a big part of the problem is their busy mind. The mind might be full of worry about work, relationships, past mistakes, or it might be jumping from one seemingly random topic to the next. Frustratingly, there’s no off switch. Practising mindfulness does not switch the mind off, but it can …
Improving Sleep in Teens
Dr Jessica Tearne and Mr Paul Jeffery from Sleep Matters presented a seminar on teenage sleep to year 7 students and their parents at one of Perth’s high schools this week. It was a great opportunity to cover some interesting and important facts about sleep in adolescence. Getting good quality and quantity sleep can be tricky in adolescence. At the very age the …
