Sleep; when it’s working well, we barely think about it but when we, our baby, child, or partner can’t sleep it becomes a preoccupation and often the reason people seek our help. It is no exaggeration that sleep deprivation is torture. Yet this is a field littered with misinformation which is challenging to both client and practitioner and while we know we should read the literature it’s not always clear or accessible.
Michael Gradisar, Clinical Psychologist specialising in sleep disorders and Head of Sleep Science at Sleep Cycle AB has offered us a lifeline. He began a recent post on Linked In saying ‘I’m frustrated. To be honest, I’m beyond frustrated. Dozens of people with a microphone in front of their face saying buzz words and making confident claims about sleep. Misinforming the public.’ He then promised ten key learnings form his career in sleep science to support practitioners. To date he has posted five, each of which provides clear and useful information which are summarised below using his titles.
- Sleep Bounces Back. Even the best sleeper cannot resist the urge to sleep, called sleep homeostatic pressure. This means everyone will eventually sleep and explains why in the correct circumstances CBT for insomnia works quickly in 4-6 sessions.
- Focus on the Body Clock First. Everyone has a body clock that dictates when we fall asleep and when we awaken. Attending to the circadian length or tau may reveal the underlying cause for circadian disorders.
- Sleep is Similar Across the Lifespan. Sleep pressure develops at 6 months, and our body clock forms between 3 to 6 months, and these sleep influencers remain crucial across the lifespan. Hyperarousal, a major disruptor of sleep is experienced by adults and children. We should feel comfortable to work with all ages and not draw an arbitrary line at 18.
- You Can Netflix and Chill. No television in the bedroom, has been the confident advice, with the rationale that LED screens emit blue light which suppresses melatonin and prevents sleep. The evidence does not support this and, to the contrary, lying awake worrying suppresses sleep. Watching television in bed that distracts from such thought and builds a positive relationship with bed is much more effective especially when an automatic timer can switch it off.
- Be A Sniper Bullet; Not a Shotgun. Sometimes we are inundated by client’s multiple problems and it’s hard to know where to begin. However, we know addressing sleep issues can help both emotional, relational and physical difficulties and this may be a good place to start. This has been clear in work with children whose capacity to self-regulate often improves dramatically with good sleep. It also means their parent is better rested so they too respond more helpfully.
As Michael says ‘Science matters, Evidence matters, Data matters, Clinical experience matters’. While we should continue to aspire to read the literature, we know that realistically, given the breadth of our field and the demands of direct clinical practice this may be impossible. Summaries of this type by those who have expertise married to extensive clinical experience are invaluable. I’m looking forward to the next 5, especially given the additional benefit of a good splash of humour!
©Copyright Bower Place Pty. Ltd. 2025
