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How Sleep Affects Mental Health Poor sleep has increasingly been recognised as both a symptom and a contributor to mental health disorders. Chronic sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances are associated with higher risks of depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairments. This relationship is bidirectional—poor sleep can worsen mental health, while mental health disorders can disrupt sleep [...]

When we think of sleep apnoea, snoring and daytime fatigue often come to mind. But a recent study published in Sleep and Breathing (2025) used MRI scanning to identify the link between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and brain damage. The Hidden Lesions in the Brain Using brain scans, researchers identified a pattern of damage—called periventricular [...]

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common but often overlooked condition. Many people think of it as just snoring or feeling groggy during the day—but the reality is much more serious. Sleep apnoea puts significant strain on your heart and blood vessels. Left untreated, it can lead to major health problems like high blood pressure, [...]

Allostatic Load The cumulative burden of all of life's stresses including but not limited to jobs, bills, relationships, illness, fear, poor nutrition, physical strain and poor sleep is known as your allostatic load. Allostatic load refers to the wear and tear on the body caused by repeated cycles of stress and the body's attempt to [...]

Sleep apnoea is often thought of as a condition that primarily affects middle-aged, overweight men who snore loudly and experience daytime sleepiness. However, women also suffer from sleep apnoea, though their symptoms tend to be more subtle and are frequently misdiagnosed as other conditions such as insomnia, depression, or anxiety. Women’s sleep apnoea often presents [...]

Can Blue Light from Phones Actually Affect Your Sleep? It is often reported that smartphone screens emit blue light, which can interfere with your body's production of melatonin—a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. In theory, exposure to any light, but blue light in particular, before bedtime can delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality by [...]

Sleep is a cornerstone of overall health, influencing physical recovery, mental clarity, and emotional stability. Yet, many individuals struggle with irregular sleep patterns, poor sleep quality, or chronic insomnia. One natural and effective way to improve sleep health is through regular physical exercise. Exercise exerts profound effects on the body’s biological processes, including the regulation [...]

Determining if someone has sleep apnea requires a proper medical diagnosis based on the results of a sleep study. However, there are several common signs and symptoms you can look for in your partner if you suspect they might have sleep apnea. Loud snoring Snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, but not [...]

It is well understood that loud and frequent snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) which poses significant health risks and can impair energy level, mood and overall daytime function. What is often ignored by sleep medicine when talking about snoring is how it affects the bed partner of the snorer. In [...]

Talking to a loved one about snoring can be a sensitive topic, but approaching it with care and empathy can help make the conversation more comfortable. Here are some steps you can follow: 1. Choose the Right Time Private and Calm Setting: Select a time when you’re both relaxed and unlikely to be interrupted. Not [...]

  Valid reasons and indications for a sleep study may include any of the following: Snoring which disturbs your bed partner (or neighbours!) Always tired Falling asleep whilst driving Disturbed sleep Going to the bathroom during the night Waking up tired Waking up with a headache Waking up with a dry or sore throat High […]

  Home Sleep’s level 2 sleep studies accurately measure your sleep and breathing using the same techniques and technology found in a hospital study to diagnose sleep-related breathing disorders such as obstructive sleep apnoea.  We measure:  brain waves,  eye movement and  jaw muscle activity  which allows one of our trained sleep scientists to assess when […]

There are four levels of sleep studies that are able to diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Level Four Level four is the most basic type of sleep study. It is only really a screening tool for OSA using oximetry that directly measures heart rate and oxygen levels, using this data to infer respiratory obstructions and arousals out of […]

Smart watches have emerged in recent years as useful tools for, among other things, tracking health data and sleep in particular. Most smartwatches on the market claim to be able to track sleep stages and quality of sleep, while others also track blood oxygen saturation which is used to detect likely sleep apnoea. But how […]

You’ve completed your sleep study with Home Sleep, had the consultation where the sleep scientist has shown you the data and explained the results but by the time you get home with the report, you’ve forgotten half of what was said. Now you’re looking at a bunch of numbers that you’re not sure what to […]

There are only two main types of CPAP masks – full face masks and nasal masks. CPAP masks can be made of silicon or memory foam. The memory foam masks are much more comfortable, softer on the skin, seal much better regardless of how much you move around, and less likely to leave red marks on […]

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the best treatment for sleep-disordered breathing, including sleep apnoea and snoring. It involves sleeping with a mask over the nose (or nose and mouth) which has a constant pressure of air being pumped through to the upper airway, acting as a splint to hold the throat open and allow for normal […]

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which includes and is often referred to as sleep apnea, is very common among adult populations. The HypnoLaus study conducted in Switzerland in 2015 looked at polysomnography (sleep study) data from 2121 people over 40 years old, equally split between male and female and found the prevalence of moderate to severe SDB […]

Has it ever happened to you or a loved one that you fell asleep at the steering wheel? This is something Sydney nurse Fran Boyer experienced until she rammed her car into the railings when she fell asleep while driving back home. Fran Boyer's case isn't an isolated incident where the people have dozed off [...]