App replaces sleeping pills for insomniacs | The Area News | Griffith, NSW

It’s thought about one in 10 Australians have at least mild insomnia at any given time.Insomnia patients should ditch the drugs and sign up to an Australian-designed app to help them improve their sleep patterns.That’s according to Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), which has recommended Sleepio as a safe and effective sleep therapy treatment – and an alternative to addictive medications like zolpidem and zopiclone.While not yet available to all Australians, people who find it difficult to stay or fall asleep are being urged to ask their GPs about joining a clinical trial that uses the specialised digital therapy program, available through Flinders University.”Our previous research has shown that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (or ‘CBTi’) is the most effective treatment for insomnia and Sleepio is a self-administered version of that,” says Flinders’ Dr Alexander Sweetman from the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health.”At present, Sleepio is only available in Australia through a clinical trial so it’s important doctors are aware it’s an option and patients can be referred to the program and assisted.”At the moment 45 GPs are participating in the Australian Sleepio trial and 200 patients have been referred.”So far, patients have reported improved insomnia symptoms and around a…
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