Our featured service for July is the MindSpot Sleep Course, a new online psychological intervention for people dealing with ongoing sleep issues and the emotional toll they can bring.

“Research from around the world tells us that healthy sleep is critical to our mental health. The good news is that most people can improve their sleep – but like any other habit, we have to adjust our routines, and this takes a bit of time. Our Sleep Course is designed to help people do exactly that.”

– MindSpot’s Executor Director, Professor Nick Titov, AM.

The journey at MindSpot starts with an online psychological assessment that takes 20 – 30 minutes to complete. It’s confidential and offers insights on one’s wellbeing. From there, participants can assess MindSpot’s treatment or speak to a MindSpot therapist.

The treatment courses teach strategies, tools, and techniques to address and manage specific mental health symptoms. All services and materials are available online, and easy to access.

The MindSpot Sleep Course is a new online treatment program designed to help people understand how sleep works and practice evidence-based skills to improve their sleep. The course helps build sustainable sleep habits, combining sleep research and practical skills to help people fall asleep faster, increase sleep duration, and improve daytime energy.

The course involves four online lessons, delivered over 8 weeks with regular guidance from trained mental health professionals. This includes options for weekly check ins by phone or secure email. Throughout the course, people will learn:

• How sleep works and how the body and brain regulate sleep cycles.
• Effective techniques to improve sleep quality and establish good sleep patterns.
• Strategies to manage sleep-related worries and unhelpful thinking habits.
• Practical methods to reduce daytime fatigue and improve focus and productivity throughout the day.
• Skills to identify and address environmental factors affecting sleep.

The course also offers DIY exercises for daily practice, real world stories and examples from others who have struggled with sleep issues, and additional resources for specific challenges.

The Sleep Course is available for Australian adults aged 18 and over and is recommended for people who:

• Struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep.
• Feel tired and unfocused during the day despite spending enough time in bed.
• Find themselves caught in cycles of worrying about sleep.
• Want to understand the science behind sleep while learning practical strategies to improve sleep quality.
• Have time to spend working on the course and practising the skills.

There are many potential benefits to using the MindSpot Sleep Course including:

• Improved sleep quality.
• Improved quality of life.
• Reduced stress and anxiety related to sleep.
• Improved mood and wellbeing.
• Breaks the cycle of poor sleep and fatigue.
• Increased sense of control and confidence in managing sleep issues.

MindSpot also provides resources for health practitioners on how to refer patients to MindSpot, as well as screening tests for patients.

There is no cost to use MindSpot services including its psychological assessments, treatments and resources.

The MindSpot Sleep Course is available online at https://www.mindspot.org.au/treatments/sleep-course/.

Users must first complete the online assessment to determine whether a MindSpot course is the right choice. Participants will then answer a few questions about their physical and emotional symptoms before receiving their results. Before enrolling, users can choose to speak to a MindSpot therapist to discuss their results or self-enrol.

All of MindSpot’s programs have undergone clinical trials at the eCentreClinic to ensure their efficacy. They have conducted more than 90 clinical trials involving 9,000 people and the clinical outcomes of these trials can be found in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. These outcomes include:

• 50% reduction in symptoms (for at least two years).
• 40% disability reduction by MindSpot treatments.
• 95% of users would recommend MindSpot.

Learn more about MindSpots clinical outcomes here. For more information regarding the research trials visit eCentre Clinic: Our Research.

eCentreClinic have conducted an inclusive trial of the MindSpot Sleep Course. This study found evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in an inclusive sample of 74 people. From pre to post treatment, significant improvements in self-reported sleep disturbance, insomnia severity and functional impairment were observed. Small to moderate improvements in depression and anxiety were also observed. Most improvements were maintained at 3 months.