Insomnia and Sleeping Problems

Difficulty sleeping is something most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. Population surveys show that between 30% and 45% of adults will experience insomnia in any given year. Normally, this is in response to a transient stressor and resolves in time. However, for some, sleeping problems are ongoing. These sleep disorders can be very frustrating and have far reaching effects in a person's daily life in terms of reduced functioning, impaired quality of life, or interacting with co-existing mental health issues such as Depression.

Treatment for Insomnia

You may benefit from treatment with a Psychologist if you suffer from symptoms of Primary Insomnia, where for a month or more:
- you have had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or
- you have not felt rested after sleeping, or
- you have become preoccupied or distressed about by your inability to sleep, or
- you fall asleep more easily when you are not trying to (eg. while wathcing tv, reading etc.), or
- you feel low in mood, unable to concentrate, fatigued or unmotivated.

Psychological treatments involve identifying the reasons your sleeping problems are persisting, providing education in good sleeping habits or "sleep hygeine", lifestyle changes, relaxation strategies, and challenging unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, and scheduling sleep times if needed.

More Information  

Sleep Hygeine Tips

Sleep Disorders Australia: A wide range of fact sheets on sleeping problems

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