Need to talk? Call 1800 882 436.
It's a free call with a maternal child health nurse. *call charges may apply from your mobile

Is it an emergency? Dial 000
If you need urgent medical help, call triple zero immediately.

beginning of content

Sleep Health Foundation

The Sleep Health Foundation (SHF) is a non-profit organisation and Australian public advocate for sleep health. The Foundation is Australia’s leading advocate for healthy sleep and helping people to understand the value of getting a good night’s sleep.

Healthy sleep is vital for physical health, mental wellbeing, safety and productivity. Research suggests that over 20% of the population suffer from sleep problems on a daily or near daily basis. Despite this, sleep health receives little attention relative to other aspects of healthy living, such as diet and exercise.

Vision and mission

The Sleep Health Foundation’s mission is to improve people’s lives through better sleep.

It aims to improve people’s lives by promoting sleep, advocating to governments and the community, and raising awareness of sleep disorder.

How the Sleep Health Foundation can help

Advocacy

The Foundation effectively delivers the sleep health message to the community (through its media, social media and website resources) and to community leaders and government.

Collaboration

The Foundation works with key players to promote sleep health. These include patient groups, professional organisations, businesses and researchers.

Best practice

The Foundation promotes industry best practice standards to ensure a high standing for sleep therapies in the minds of the community and its leaders.

Resources

The Foundation makes educational material about sleep and its problems freely available through its website and social media outlets.

Communication

The Foundation has a rapidly growing database of ‘e-newsletter subscribers’ and a growing social media presence through its Facebook page.

Research and development

The Sleep Health Foundation's newly developed research and development division, The Australian Sleep and Alertness Consortium (ASAC), explores research opportunities in the areas of occupational safety and healthcare, as well as road safety - building upon the outputs, expertise and legacy of the Alertness CRC.

New website

The WorkAlert® website provides science-driven tips and knowledge to help conquer the challenges of staying alert in a busy world. It provides advice on how an employer or employee – can keep yourself and your workplace safe.

Information line

  • Call + 61 2 8814 8655 Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm AEST (non-medical advice)

Recommended links

This information was originally published on healthdirect - Sleep Health Foundation.

Last reviewed: December 2020

Information from this partner

Found 21 results

Melatonin and Children

What is melatonin? For general information on melatonin please see our melatonin web page. What can children use melatonin for? In children, melatonin is typically used to treat difficulties with going to sleep or staying asleep. It may benefit children who are developing normally as well as children with Attention

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Sleep Terrors

What are sleep terrors? Sleep terror disorder means very strong feelings of terror and panic during sleep. You have them while you are in deep sleep. They are also sometimes called ‘night terrors’. They tend to happen fairly soon after going to sleep. Two thirds of the time, they are in the first period of deep s

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Epilepsy and Sleep

The Sleep health Foundation Australia

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Memory, Thinking and Sleep  

The Sleep health Foundation Australia

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Getting good sleep during the COVID-19 Pandemic

good sleep during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Sleep Problems and Sleep Disorders in School Aged Children

Sleep problems in school age children There are a number of common sleep problems and sleep disorders that are known to affect children.  These include: You find it hard to get your child to settle into sleep at a reasonable time in the evening or your child wakes you more than once at night. Your child mig

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Sleep Tips for New Mothers

1.Plan for the fact that your sleep pattern is going to change Babies are not born with a day-night wake-sleep cycle.  They develop this over the first 3 months following birth.  So whilst a newborn baby may sleep a lot, they will also wake up a lot for feeds and other attention and will do so at all hours

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Tips to Help Baby Sleep Better

1. Establish a regular sleep time During the first weeks of life your baby does not yet have a set day-night rhythm. You can help create this rhythm by setting regular times for going to bed and waking up. These need to allow plenty of time for sleep. The more regular the hours, the stronger the sleep-wake cycle will

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Bedwetting

How common is it? It is very common.  Most children need to wear a nappy or protective pants at night to avoid wetting their bed up until at least age five. At four years of age nearly one in three children wet, and this falls to about one in 10 by age six. Some teenagers wet the bed too. This is especially commo

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Nightmares

What are nightmares? Nightmares are vivid scary dreams. They tend to wake you up. They may often also stop you going back to sleep due to fear. Many children have them, but they tend to stop between ages 9 to 11. If they keep going past this age and are not due to stress or trauma, then the person might keep having t

Read more on Sleep Health Foundation website

Call us and speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance.

Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?

1800 882 436

Video call

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.