Evidence-based support for persistent sleep difficulties
Struggling with sleep can affect every part of life – your mood, concentration, energy, relationships, confidence, and overall wellbeing. Many people reach a point where they begin to dread bedtime, worry about how they will cope the next day, or feel trapped in a frustrating cycle of exhaustion and hypervigilance.
I offer a structured CBT-i program designed to address persistent sleep difficulties and insomnia. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) is the internationally recognised gold-standard treatment for chronic insomnia.
Unlike approaches that focus only on relaxation or sleep hygiene, CBT-i is a targeted, evidence-based treatment designed to address the patterns that can keep persistent sleep difficulties going.
Research consistently shows CBT-i can improve:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Frequent night waking
- Light or fragmented sleep
- Early morning waking
- Anxiety around sleep
- Sleep confidence and daytime functioning
Many women I work with have tried everything to improve their sleep – changing routines, reducing caffeine, listening to advice online – yet still find themselves lying awake at night, exhausted but unable to switch off.
Sleep difficulties are often closely linked with stress, anxiety, overthinking, and life transitions. When your nervous system stays in a state of alert, sleep can become something your body struggles to access, even when you’re physically tired.
I have completed CBT-I Level 1 training through the Australian Psychological Society (APS), which has further strengthened my ability to support clients in understanding and improving their sleep patterns in a practical and compassionate way.
Together, we can explore what is maintaining your sleep difficulties and work towards rebuilding a healthier relationship with rest and sleep.
Understanding insomnia
Insomnia is not simply “not sleeping enough.”
Often, the nervous system becomes stuck in a state of heightened alertness around sleep itself. Over time, people may begin:
- monitoring sleep constantly
- worrying about the consequences of poor sleep
- spending extra time in bed trying to catch up
- becoming increasingly frustrated or fearful around bedtime
This can unintentionally train the brain to associate the bed with wakefulness, stress, and hyperarousal rather than rest.
A key part of CBT-i is helping clients understand:
- how sleep actually works
- the stages and cycles of sleep
- why night waking is normal
- the role of the biological clock and sleep pressure
- how stress and hyperarousal affect sleep
- the difference between fatigue and true sleepiness
Understanding these processes often reduces fear and helps clients regain trust in their body’s ability to sleep naturally again.
What to expect
This is a structured, collaborative program tailored to your individual sleep patterns, lifestyle, and contributing factors.
Most clients attend 5-8 sessions, depending on the severity and duration of their sleep difficulties.
Session 1 – Understanding your insomnia
We begin by understanding what has brought you to counselling and how your sleep difficulties are affecting you.
We explore your sleep history and the factors that may have contributed to your insomnia.
You’ll also learn:
- what insomnia is
- how insomnia can develop and become persistent
- how sleep is structured throughout the night
- why spending more time in bed doesn’t necessarily mean getting more sleep
- how the brain can learn an association between bed and wakefulness
You’ll begin completing your personalised Sleep-Wake Diary.
Session 2 – Rebuilding your sleep pattern
We review your sleep data and introduce the first behavioural components of treatment.
You’ll learn about:
- sleep pressure
- your biological clock
- arousal and alertness
- Bed Equals Sleep Therapy (BEST)
- Sleep Efficiency Training
Together, we establish an initial sleep window based on your individual sleep pattern.
Session 3 – Consolidating sleep
We review how the first week of treatment has gone and make adjustments based on your sleep data.
We’ll look at:
- changes in your sleep
- daytime sleepiness
- your experience of BEST
- your Sleep Efficiency Training
- barriers that may be getting in the way
We’ll also introduce Progressive Muscle Relaxation and review practical sleep habits that may support your treatment.
Session 4 – Changing the relationship with sleep
We explore the thoughts and beliefs that can unintentionally maintain insomnia.
You may discover beliefs such as:
“I need eight hours of sleep to function.”
“I have to try harder to fall asleep.”
“If I don’t sleep tonight, tomorrow will be a disaster.”
We’ll work on identifying and challenging unhelpful sleep-related beliefs and introduce strategies including:
- cognitive refocusing
- constructive worry time
- managing racing thoughts
- reducing sleep-related anxiety
Session 5 – Building your long-term sleep plan
We review your progress and consolidate what you’ve learned.
You’ll learn how to:
- continue adjusting your sleep window when appropriate
- recognise early signs of insomnia returning
- respond to a few nights of poor sleep without falling back into old patterns
- use BEST and Sleep Efficiency Training when needed
- manage sleep-related thoughts and worry
- maintain a regular sleep pattern
- develop your own plan for future periods of disrupted sleep
The goal isn’t perfect sleep every night.
It’s to help you understand your sleep well enough that you feel confident managing it when things don’t go perfectly.
Additional sessions (if needed)
Some clients benefit from additional support, particularly if insomnia has been present for a long time or occurs alongside anxiety, stress, burnout, perimenopause, or major life transitions.
The first-line treatment for insomnia
CBT-i is recommended as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia by the Australasian Sleep Association and is recommended in Australian and international clinical guidelines.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is the recommended ‘first line’ treatment for chronic insomnia, but is accessed by less than 1% of patients.
Australasian Sleep Association. (2024, February). CBTi program launch. https://sleep.org.au/Public/Public/News/Articles/Feb/CBTi-program-launch.aspx
My approach
My approach is warm, grounded, practical, and compassionate.
I understand how distressing persistent sleep difficulties can become – particularly when sleep starts affecting mental health, relationships, parenting, work, or quality of life.
Alongside evidence-based CBT-i strategies, I work collaboratively with clients to create a plan that feels realistic, supportive, and sustainable within the context of their everyday lives.
Sessions are currently offered online.
Book an appointment
I offer secure online counselling sessions, providing you with flexible access to support from the comfort of your own space, anywhere in Australia.
If you’re curious about working together, I offer a free 15-minute consult. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure way to ask questions and see if it feels like the right fit.
You don’t have to carry it all on your own. Let’s take the next step, together.
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