At Sleep Matters Perth, we believe in empowering families with the latest science-backed tips to improve sleep. Drawing from the latest research, we’ve compiled practical recommendations you can implement today. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) One of the most effective interventions for improving insomnia in young people is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). This approach combines cognitive techniques to address unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about sleep with behavioural strategies to improve sleep habits. CBT-I has proven highly effective in treating insomn ..read more

Judging sleep can be even more difficult for those with sleep difficulties such as insomnia. People with insomnia often perceive that they have slept less than what a lab-based (polysomnography, PSG) sleep study reports. For example, it’s not uncommon for someone with insomnia to report say 4-5 hours of sleep overnight whilst the lab recording may observe 6 or even 7 hours of sleep. There is some laboratory evidence that people with insomnia need to be asleep for longer than good sleepers in order to perceive that they have slept.  “When treating insomnia, it is important to understand ho ..read more

As Perth’s first behavioural sleep medicine clinic, Sleep Matters is dedicated to helping people overcome sleep difficulties and improve their overall health and wellbeing. We believe that research plays a crucial role in advancing understanding of sleep disorders and finding effective treatments for sleep-related issues. Our current studies are in collaboration with The University of Western Australia and Compumedics Ltd. Participation in our current studies can be through our Sleep Matters clinics with treatment delivered by registered psychologists (usual fees apply + research participati ..read more

In the fast-evolving landscape of sleep health, wearable devices have emerged as tools offering insights into our nightly rest. From sleek smartwatches, rings on our fingers, to discreet sensors nestled near our beds, these devices provide a glimpse into metrics like sleep-wake patterns, nocturnal movements, and even biostatistics such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels. While there are some great potential benefits of using wearable devices to track sleep, some caution is warranted to avoid potential pitfalls. The accuracy quandry One pressing question revolves around the accuracy of these ..read more

Key takeaways Insomnia disorder is very common, and even more so in people with mental health conditions.  Insomnia can increase the risk and severity of mental health struggles. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy-Insomnia (CBT-I) is typically a short treatment and is the recommended first line treatment for insomnia. Treating insomnia has beneficial impacts not just for insomnia but on co-existing mental health conditions. Insomnia, a common sleep disorder characterised by difficulty falling or staying asleep, is intricately linked to mental health conditions. The research of Dr Melissa Ree ..read more

As Perth’s first behavioural sleep medicine clinic, Sleep Matters is dedicated to helping people overcome sleep difficulties and improve their overall health and wellbeing. We believe that research plays a crucial role in advancing understanding of sleep disorders and finding effective treatments for sleep-related issues. Sleep Matters Director, Dr Melissa Ree trains and supervises the Sleep Matters team as well as holding a tenured academic appointment at The University of Western Australia where she engages in teaching and research into sleep disorder treatments. Here are some of the key ..read more

Sleep health is important. We understand that everyone needs at least reasonable sleep to function happily and healthily. Yet sleep itself can be somewhat mysterious and misunderstood. The Sleep Matters team have advanced training in the management of sleep difficulties and we wanted to clarify some sleep facts and bust some common myths. So here are the answers to 5 common questions we get asked about sleep. These questions are largely focused on the mornings, we’ll follow-up with some answers to other common questions in future blogs. 1. Why do I feel so sluggish when I wake up in the mornin ..read more

If you’re jet-setting to another time zone this summer, you will likely experience some disruption to your sleep. This can often be due to early or late flight schedules and anxiety or excitement about travelling, but another key factor is the dreaded jet lag. What is jet lag? Jet lag occurs when we travel to a destination in a different time zone, meaning that our internal body clock (circadian rhythm) is running at a different time to our new destination.  A flight from Perth to Sydney, for example, can leave you wide awake at 11pm local time, since your biological clock still thinks ..read more

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Many of us are interested in improving our health and wellbeing. Sleep is a great way to do this was we know that sleep is the third pillar of health alongside physical activity and nutrition. A very common piece of advice for improving sleep is to avoid moderate-vigorous exercise before bedtime. Many official ‘Sleep Hygiene’ Guidelines suggest no exercise after mid-afternoon, and certainly not within about 3 hours of nighttime sleep. This advice can put sleep and exercise in competition with one another, should I sleep or should I exercise? The existing sleep hygiene advice is that moderate ..read more