Why an integrated approach matters
Insomnia is often influenced by a combination of medical, psychological, and behavioural factors. Effective treatment requires the collaboration between the sleep physician, psychologist and patient. At our clinic, all care occurs in one location.You can see the psychologist, sleep, physician, and complete a sleep study on the same day. That’s why we operate as a fully integrated multidisciplinary team. Our clinicians meet regularly to coordinate management, ensuring your treatment plan is comprehensive and evidence-based.
CBT-I will not work if underlying issues like untreated sleep apnea or medication effects are still present. Conversely, treating obstructive sleep apnea alone is often not enough as many patients continue to struggle with learned and chronic insomnia patterns.
How do I treat insomnia?
Sedative medications have limited long-term benefit for insomnia, carry risks of side effects, and may worsen sleep apnea. International guidelines recommend Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment. CBT-I is a structured program that retrains the thoughts and behaviours that maintain insomnia and has strong evidence for long-term remission. If sleep apnea or another sleep disorder is contributing to insomnia, it must be addressed alongside CBT-I for treatment to be effective.
Insomnia and sleep apnea
Many people are diagnosed with insomnia without ever being assessed for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), even though OSA affects around 20% of Australians and frequently presents with insomnia symptoms. Apneas trigger surges of “fight-or-flight” hormones that cause sudden alertness, making it difficult to return to sleep. Research shows 30–40% of people with insomnia also have OSA.Snoring is common in OSA, but its absence does not rule out the condition.The only reliable way to exclude sleep apnea is a diagnostic sleep study (polysomnography). Our clinic performs high-accuracy, home-based sleep studies to assess breathing, sleep quality, and related physiology in your usual sleep environment. Early assessment helps avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary long-term use of sedatives.
Insomnia, anxiety and depression
Around 50% of people with insomnia also experience anxiety or depression.
Anxiety increases mental and physical arousal, making it harder to fall or stay asleep. Depression affects sleep architecture and contributes to early waking and non-restorative sleep. Difficulty sleeping can itself create anxiety - many people lie awake ruminating or clock-watching, which further reinforces wakefulness. These patterns are psychological and behavioural, and cannot be resolved by medication alone. During the day, insufficient sleep reduces concentration, emotional regulation, and stress tolerance, which can worsen mood and anxiety over time.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder involving difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. It can cause fatigue, poor concentration, mood changes, and impaired daytime functioning. Insomnia is multifactorial - medical, psychological, behavioural, and lifestyle factors often interact to create and maintain sleep problems over time.Common contributors include: stress, anxiety, depression, medical conditions, hormonal changes, poor sleep habits, caffeine, shift work, or other sleep disorders like sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. Because insomnia often has several contributing factors, a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach leads to better outcomes.