Monash University Healthy Sleep Clinic

Problem sleeping? Sleepy during the day? Concerned about your sleep? The Healthy Sleep Clinic is here to help.

We are a group of psychologists and physiologists experienced in treating sleep and body clock disorders in people across diverse backgrounds and cultures. Our passion to help people improve sleep health brings us together to deliver personalised, evidence-based, multi-disciplinary care to the community.

What we can help with

We can help with problems:

• Falling asleep, sleeping through the night, or waking up too early
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Psychological support while weaning off sleeping pills
• Managing shift work or irregular sleep schedules
• Nightmares
• Discomfort or restlessness while falling asleep
• And more...

Or with specific non-respiratory sleep diagnoses:

• Insomnia (失眠)
• Body clock or circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, for example those with:
  • Delayed sleep phase disorder
  • Advanced sleep phase disorder
  • Shift work disorder
  • Irregular sleep-wake rhythm
• Restless legs syndrome
• Nightmares
• Idiopathic hypersomnia
• Narcolepsy

We focus on treating non-respiratory sleep disorders above. If a respiratory sleep condition such as obstructive sleep apnea is the only concern, please contact other sleep disorder services. We will, however, provide assessment and treatment for above non-respiratory sleep disorders if they co-exist with a respiratory sleep disorder. For example, we will support individuals with obstructive sleep apnea in addressing co-existing insomnia.

Treatment services

We tailor treatments for each client through a range of assessments, including:

Assessments may include:

• Questionnaires
• Interviews
• Keeping a sleep diary
• Non-intrusive wearable monitors (e.g. sleep watch/headband)
• Physiological assessments for body clock

We are experienced with science-based treatments, including:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia
• Body clock re-alignment using circadian interventions such as bright light therapy
• Image rehearsal therapy for nightmares
• Psychological strategy support for when undergoing supervised hypnotic tapering with your doctor

We offer both individual and group based treatments that can be completed in person and/or via telehealth:

• Individual sessions are one-on-one appointments with a clinician (~ 50 minutes each). The number of sessions will depend on your concerns, treatment goals, and will be discussed with your clinician at your initial appointment.
• Group sessions are interactive, information and support focused sessions, attended by 4-10 clients and delivered by at least two clinicians. Groups provide a structured opportunity to build skills, share experiences, and learn alongside others with similar concerns.

Our approach to treatment

• Our treatments can run alongside most pharmaceutical treatments
• All our psychologists are experienced with general mental health concerns, and can provide integrated care when sleep problems co-occur with difficulties such as depression and anxiety
• Team-based approach is a stand-out feature in the treatment we provide. We work closely with existing care providers and our multi-disciplinary team of experts meet and discuss joint care of clients

Coming to see a psychologist for sleep concerns

• To attend our service, ask your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan AND a referral letter. Medicare rebates are available for 10 Individual and an additional 10 Group sessions per year for eligible clients.
• Cost: maybe add something about cost here as well
• Clients must be 16 years or older
• After we have received your referrals, a clinician will contact you (usually within 2 weeks) for a short intake call to discuss your needs; after this call, we will let you know the next steps in your care.

Psychologists Experienced with Sleep Issues

Provisional Psychologists:

• Psychology trainees in their 6th to 8th year of psychology training. Most are undertaking their final years of Doctorate/PhD training before accreditation
• They are closely supervised by Clinical Psychology supervisors
• Availability changes throughout the year
• The cost for each appointment is $70 out of pocket ($35 with a government concession card & financial hardship). These sessions do not require a Mental Health Care Plan or count towards the annual session quote

Registrar Psychologists:

• Fully registered and accredited psychologists
• They are working with our clinic to gain further expertise in the area of sleep and are supported by Clinical Psychology supervisors
• The wait time to see a registrar psychologist is usually 2 months
• The cost for each appointment is $168.95 with $70 out of pocket cost after the Medicare rebate
• Bulk-billing may be available for financial hardship

Clinical Psychologists:

• Fully registered and accredited psychologists with Clinical Psychology as an endorsed area of practice
• They have been working in the area of sleep for some time and provide supervision and support to provisional psychologists and registrar psychologists
• Due to their limited capacity, the wait time for these clinicians is longest
• The cost for each appointment is $215.25 with $70 out of pocket cost after the Medicare rebate
• Bulk-billing may be available for financial hardship

Meet the team

	A/Prof Bei Bei   Clinic Lead, Research Lead Clinical Psychology Supervisor, Clinical Psychologist
	Dr Rochelle Cairns Clinical Lead Clinical Supervisor, Health Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist
	Prof Julie Stout Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology Supervisor Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist
	Dr Frank Cahil (not seeing clients at this practice) Clinical Supervisor, Clinical and Counselling Psychologist
	Dr Kumar Sivakumaran Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Neuropsychology Registrar
	James Mewett Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar
	Susie Oh Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar
	Dr Therese Thornton Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar
	Isobel Youren Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar
	Della Zhang Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar

Sleep Physicians supporting the service

Not practicing at this site. Please contact Monash Lung and Sleep on (03) 9594 2900 or via email: lungandsleep@monashhealth.org

	Associate Professor Darren Mansfield
	Professor Garun Hamilton
	Dr Yvonne Ng

Research support team

	Toby Stewart
	Ayden Nelthropp

Our Community Advisory Committee

Serving the community and learning from the community is at the centre of what we do. Our Community Advisory Committee consists of members of the community who are passionate about sleep health and share their knowledge and expertise to help us improve our clinical practice and research. For more information, please contact healthy.sleep.research@monash.edu

Research

Improving the treatments of sleep disorders via cutting-edge research and discovery is an integral part of the Healthy Sleep Clinic. Many of our expert clinicians and physiologists are leading researchers in their fields. Collectively, we publish over 50 scientific articles per year, and our work is supported by major funding bodies such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, and Australasian Sleep Association.

Clients attending our service are invited to join our ongoing research database. We use de-identified information from this database to better understand the nature and treatment responses of sleep disorders.

Clients may also be invited to research projects, such as clinical trials. You will receive detailed information about these research opportunities when you first attend our clinic. You are free to opt-out of research by contacting healthy.sleep.research@monash.edu and if you do so, you will receive high standard clinical care.

Location and Transport

We are located at: Building 1, 270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill VIC 3168

• Free parking is available to the public in any park marked 'Monash Permit Parking'
• We are located a short walk from the Monash University bus interchange and the 693 bus stops out the front of our clinic

Contact Us

Healthy Sleep Clinic 
Turner Clinics
Building 1, 270 Ferntree Gully Road
Notting Hill VIC 3168
Telephone: (03) 9905 1428
Fax: (03) 9905 0605
Email: Healthy.Sleep@monash.edu

We acknowledge and pay respects to the Elders and Traditional Owners past, present, and emerging of the land on which our four Australian campuses stand, and their connections to land, sea and community.