In a world that never switches off, it’s easy to let sleep slide. With our attention being pulled in every direction, rising stress levels, and mental health services under strain, it’s all too easy to treat sleep like an optional extra. But it’s not a luxury – it’s essential. As part of Sleep Health Week 2025, the team at Sleep Matters is encouraging Australians to prioritise their sleep as a key part of their overall health.
Sleep Health Week 2025: “Sleep – The Lifelong Superpower”
Held from 11–15 August, Sleep Health Week is Australia’s leading awareness campaign about the importance of sleep. This year’s theme, Sleep: The Lifelong Superpower, is a reminder of something simple but easy to forget: good sleep matters at every age, from growing kids to busy adults and the elderly. It’s not just about energy levels. Healthy sleep improves focus, stabilises mood, strengthens immunity, boosts memory, and contributes to mental health.
Despite this, one in three Australians aren’t getting the sleep their body needs. That’s millions of people waking up feeling flat, foggy, or unmotivated, day after day.
The Two-Way Relationship Between Sleep and Wellbeing
When we feel tired, emotional or mentally foggy, we often point the finger at stress, screens or ageing. But as Dr Melissa Ree, Clinical Psychologist at Sleep Matters, explains: “Sleep and wellbeing influence each other. Poor sleep can lower mood and make it harder to concentrate, while stress, health conditions, and hormonal changes can impact our ability to sleep well.”
The bottom line? Sleep doesn’t exist in a bubble. It’s closely tied to how we feel, function, and cope with whatever life throws our way. Understanding the two-way relationship between sleep and health helps us include sleep in the solution, rather than treating it as a secondary concern.
What Does Healthy Sleep Look Like?
Most adults need between 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night, but good sleep is about more than just clocking up hours in bed. It means falling asleep within 30 minutes, waking only briefly (if at all) during the night, and starting the day feeling refreshed. Consistency matters too. A stable sleep-wake schedule helps regulate your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that controls when you feel alert, sleepy, or somewhere in between.
The team at Sleep Matters supports people across all life stages with:
- Chronic insomnia and poor sleep habits
- Sleep disruptions during menopause and pregnancy
- Teen sleep issues (like delayed sleep phase)
- Stress-related sleep difficulties
- Fatigue and irregular sleep due to lifestyle factors
Sleep Health Assessments and Evidence-Based Treatment
You might be surprised to learn that sleep difficulties are often best treated by psychologists. That’s because insomnia or trouble sleeping is often tied to our thoughts, habits, stress levels, and what’s going on in our day-to-day lives.
At Sleep Matters, we provide comprehensive sleep health assessments, including clinical interviews, validated questionnaires, and overnight, in-home monitoring using Somfit technology. Our treatment approach is backed by research and tailored to each client.
We use:
- CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia), the recommended first-line treatment
- Mindfulness-based therapies to address stress and sleep anxiety
- Light therapy to support circadian rhythm alignment
We work closely with GPs and sleep physicians, and may support treatment plans that involve melatonin or short-term medication when appropriate.
Ready to Improve Your Sleep? We Can Help.
In a culture that often glorifies productivity and “pushing through,” Sleep Health Week is a chance to pause and reframe how we think about rest. Sleepisn’t lazy – it’s one of the best things you can do for your body and mind.
As Dr Ree puts it: “Sleep truly is a superpower; and when we prioritise it, every other part of our health gets a boost.“
If sleep’s been a struggle, our team of psychologists at Sleep Matters are here to help you figure out what’s getting in the way, and find practical, proven ways to get things back on track.
We offer in-person sessions at our Perth clinics, as well as telehealth appointments for clients Australia-wide. Call (08) 6107 6828 to learn more.
And make sure you’re following @sleepmattersclinic on Instagram or Facebook for practical tips.
Because better days begin with better sleep.
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