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 …
How to wake up earlier (and feel good about it)
Follow the steps below for 2 weeks and see if you become the early-bird you never thought you’d be. We often help people who would like to get up earlier in the morning. This desire can be motivated by a number of things; fitting in exercise, making the morning routine before school/work less rushed, creating a more positive mindset to …
Improving sleep to improve Performance: What does the research say?
Good sleep can help us perform at our best, this is true for everyone, including elite athletes. Good sleep plays an important role in optimising performance and recovery outcomes across a range of sports. Daniel Bonnar from Flinders University and Sleep Matters, has recently published the results of a research project, reviewing research on how interventions to improve sleep affect athletic performance and …
Back to school sleep routine
Sleep routines for children can change a great deal over the long summer holidays. Later nights, sleeping in, more variability and sleep-wake schedules, more screen time, less focus on a pre-bed wind down routine are some of the common changes. While many kids and teens adjust easily to the school sleep routine, others may benefit from some structured adjustments to create a great routine around sleep. …
Early Bird or Night Owl? Knowing what you are may help you get the most from your day
This year, researchers won a Nobel prize for their work on understanding the role of the body clock, aka circadian rhythm. We have a master clock deep in the brain (the suprachiasmatic nuecleus to be exact) which controls the timing several bodily features such as body temperature, hunger, and sleepiness. Melatonin is an important hormone controlled by our body clock and it …
First ever Nobel Prize in Sleep/circadian rhythms
This year, the first Nobel Prize in the area of sleep science was won. The prize was based on important research that improves understanding of how the body clock (circadian rhythm) influences our body & mind – including why we feel so awful when we are jet lagged. At Sleep Matters, the body clock is one of the three factors …
Sleep Well Feel Well with mental illness Program receives award from Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS)
Dr Melissa Ree from Sleep Matters is part of a team from the University of Western Australia who have implemented a sleep clinic within the north metro mental health service. We’re delighted to announce that this service has recently been awarded a high commendation from the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS). So many people with mental health problems also …
UWA research – Sleep skills group recruiting volunteers age 60+
Having trouble with your sleep? The University of Western Australia, in collaboration with The Australia Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, is offering a scientifically-supported sleep training program to adults aged 60 and over. This program is part of a research project looking at the relationship between sleep and thinking skills. It provides training in coping skills to improve sleep quality and quantity …
Sunday Times article – “Ignore Insomnia”
Perth’s Sunday Times newspaper yesterday contained an article on Insomnia, with the suggestion that its best cure is to ignore it. This is an eye-catching title and I hope it caught people’s attention. Of course the article contains a mixed message, as on the one hand we know that sleep is so important for health and wellbeing, but on the other, …
Improving sleep in children
Paul Jeffery from Sleep Matters presented a seminar to parents at Queensgate Medical Centre last month. He discussed aspects of childhood sleep and provided tips for improving sleep in little ones. Here is a summary of his talk. From the age of 3 up until the end of primary school its estimated that children spend around 40-50% of their lives asleep. Sleep is crucial …
What science says about sleeping on your (left) side
A common advice on self-help, health, and fitness blogs is to sleep on the left side. Of the variety of reasons provided, not many appear logically sound or scientifically accurate. As a result, it is advice usually dismissed as just another irrelevant urban legend. Science, however, has been out verifying the claims. Several studies support the benefits of sleeping on …