Although there are effective treatments for both insomnia and sleep apnoea, these treatments are not widely available through general practice settings.

​

For insomnia, the most effective treatment is cognitive and behavioural strategies that treat the underlying cause of insomnia symptoms, known as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi). This therapy has been offered successfully for many years through hospital sleep clinic and does not use drugs. It focuses on addressing insomnia by behavioural change and no drugs.

​

The process I use was developed by Sleep Specialists and involves weekly visits over 4 weeks.

​

I was one of the doctors who was involve with a clinical study with Adelaide Institute of Sleep health (AISH) and  Flinders University. This showed the effectiveness of this four-week behavioural program, that has been specially developed to treat chronic insomnia in adults in GP.

​

What is insomnia?

• Almost everyone has bad nights sometimes, real insomnia is when this happens for many weeks or months and makes you feel unwell during the day.

• People with insomnia have  trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, even when you have the chance to sleep.
  ​

What causes insomnia?

• Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety, depression, pain, or medical conditions.

• Using your phone or watching screens right before bed can also contribute to insomnia.

• Changes in routine, like staying up too late or sleeping in on weekends, can also mess up your sleep schedule

• Sometimes, another sleep problem like obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or restless legs syndrome (RLS) can cause or worsen insomnia.

• Around 40% of people with OSA also have insomnia symptoms (called COMISA, for co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnoea).

​

What are the effects of insomnia?

• When you don’t sleep well, you may feel extremely tired, have trouble concentrating, and feel grumpy or sad.

• You might struggle to perform well at school or sports, and your memory can be affected too.

​

How do Sleep Specialists recommend treating Insomnia?

• Insomnia treatment usually starts with improving sleep habits, like keeping a regular sleep schedule and avoiding computer and phone screens before bed.

• Relaxing before bedtime, such as listening to calm music or reading, can also help.

• Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is considered the best option for chronic insomnia. It helps you change habits around sleep. The process I use was developed by Sleep Specialists and involves weekly visits over 4 weeks. It uses a combination of stimulus control, CBT and staged behavioural modification.

• If you experience chronic insomnia and would like to try sleeping better in the future without medication, then please book a consultation at our clinic today.