A new online program developed by psychologists at Macquarie University is helping Australians get a better night’s sleep—free of charge.
Known as the Sleep Course, the eight-week program is now available nationwide through the university’s digital mental health platform, MindSpot.
About one in three Australians struggles with sleep, whether it’s difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, or feeling exhausted during the day.
While sleep problems are common, access to effective treatment has been limited.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-i, is considered the gold standard for treating sleep issues. However, there are only about 30 full-time psychologists in Australia trained to deliver this specific therapy.
To address this gap, Macquarie’s team created the Sleep Course so more people could benefit from evidence-based treatment.
The course is self-paced and takes eight weeks to complete. It includes online lessons and offers optional weekly phone support with a psychologist.
Dr. Amelia Scott, clinical psychologist and lead developer of the course, says the program was designed to help real people—including those with long-term insomnia, mental health conditions, sleep apnea, or even those taking sleep medication.
In a clinical trial, participants who completed the course reported, on average, a 40% improvement in their sleep quality.
Importantly, many people who had been taking sleep medications still experienced benefits. One of the most striking success stories was from an 85-year-old woman who said the course helped her go from decades of insomnia to sleeping seven solid hours a night.
Dr. Scott explains that while the total amount of sleep people got didn’t change much, what improved was the quality. Participants were sleeping for longer stretches and spending less time lying awake in bed.
The course also helped reduce symptoms of depression by 35% and anxiety by 23%, two conditions that often go hand-in-hand with poor sleep.
One of the course’s main tools is sleep restriction therapy. This technique may sound counterintuitive, but it works by temporarily limiting time in bed to retrain the brain to sleep more efficiently.
As sleep improves, the time allowed for sleep is gradually increased.
The course also helps people shift their mindset. Instead of chasing a perfect eight hours of sleep, it teaches people to focus on how they respond to being awake at night. Letting go of stress around sleep can help make those wakeful moments less frustrating and easier to manage.
The Sleep Course is now free and available at MindSpot, which also offers support for depression, anxiety, OCD, and chronic pain.
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