Understanding Sleep

How does lighting impact on sleep and health? Is it really a big deal? What should with lighting to optimise sleep and health?

At times it can be hard to tell whether you have gone to sleep or not, or how much you have slept. This can be a particular problem for people with insomnia.

The current pandemic is having a significant impact on peoples' sleep. We discuss strategies people can use to help improve their sleep during this time. 

Pregnancy can be a challenging time, particularly for women with sleep disorders such as narcolepsy who rely on medications to manage symptoms.

Healthcare workers often have to work shiftwork which can lead to fatigue, sleep difficulties and impact health and performance.

Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, like many shift-workers, face significant problems with sleep and mental and physical health.

During times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, sleep can be challenging. We discus simple strategies to help your sleep and mental health.

Traumatic experiences can have a significant effect on sleep, causing sleep disturbance, nightmares and a fear of going to bed.

Why do teenagers have trouble with sleep? What can be done about it? Answers from the experts in this episode of the Sleep Talk podcast.

When the weather gets warm it can be harder to sleep. But what does heat actually do to sleep and what can be done to help sleep better on hot nights?

What is social time, how does it relate to daylight saving time and what happens when it is out of sync with sun time and our own internal time?

Medicinal cannabinoids are being increasingly prescribed for a range of conditions including sleep. Do cannabinoids help sleep? How are they prescribed?

Tracking sleep over time can give helpful insights into sleep patterns and ways of improving sleep. This month we discuss the latest technologies for tracking sleep and interesting ways these [...]

What is sleep hygiene? Does it work? Can we be too careful about sleep? We discuss the pros and cons of sleep hygiene and put its role in perspective.

Is sharing a bed with a partner good for sleep? Partners can be noisy and move around but they can provide a sense of security and closeness.

Alcohol is commonly used as a sleep aid, but does it really help sleep?

Hear the latest updates on sleep research from the Sleep 2019 meeting.

How does what we eat impact on sleep? What foods or types of diet can help with sleep?

When we eat may be just as important as what we eat for managing obesity and health. We talk to Dr Gerda Pot about the emerging field of chrono-nutrition.

Is it really normal to sleep for 8 hours undisturbed each night, or is that just an unrealistic expectation? We talk to Darian Leader about normal sleep.

Menopause is a time of significant changes in sleep, as well as a range of other symptoms. Why does this occur and how can symptoms be addressed?

What happens to sleep during pregnancy? What is the best way to deal with sleep through pregnancy?

Symptoms of tiredness, fatigue and sleepiness are common in chronic fatigue syndrome. How can these symptoms be addressed and sleep improved in people with fatigue syndromes?

Are naps a good idea? How long should naps be? How can you get better at napping? Listen to this episode of Sleep Talk as we tackle these questions.

What are the common sleeping pills used for insomnia? When should they be used and what should you look out for when using sleeping pills?

How is sleepiness measured? Can sleepiness from different causes be differentiated? What new tools are being developed?

What changes in sleep are seen in depression? What can be done to improve sleep disturbance and sleepiness in depression?

What really is the relationship between light, the circadian rhythm and mood? How might modern anti-depressants alter that relationship?

Highlights from the Sleep Down Under 2018 meeting in Brisbane. Topics highlighted are narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep health, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Interested in the latest research on sleep discussed by world experts? Check out this update from the Sleep 2018 meeting in Baltimore.

Sleep problems are very common in people with traumatic brain injury. What can sleep problems in this group and what can be done about them?

The body clock is important in cancer, with shift workers exposed to light at night having increased cancer risk, and the emerging field of chronotherapeutics changing the way we think about the [...]

Sleep problems are very common in people with cancer. What can be done to help address sleep difficulties in people with cancer?

How you think and behave during the day impacts on sleep and can result in the brain being over stimulated at night. This is hyperarousal. How does it impact sleep and what can be done about it?

Understanding sleep beliefs and behaviours in different cultures can help better understand your own beliefs about sleep, and in turn change your expectations around sleep.

What can be done to reduce the effects of jet lag? We discuss a range of strategies from using apps to manage light exposure to what airlines are doing to have passengers arriving fresh at their [...]

Economics can help to quantify the cost of inadequate sleep to the community, and can also help with designing systems that promote health sleep.

Sleep can be challenging in children with special needs and this can impact on their health and the family as a whole. We talk about why sleep is hard, and strategies for improving sleep.