Canberra Sleep Clinics Expand as One in Three Adults Report Insomnia

Canberra’s three main sleep clinics have reported a combined 40 per cent increase in referrals over the past 18 months, according to ACT Health data released last month. The surge has prompted the Canberra Sleep Centre in Deakin to add six new overnight beds and hire two additional sleep physicians since January.

The trend mirrors national figures: the Sleep Health Foundation’s 2025 survey found 35 per cent of Australian adults now meet clinical criteria for chronic insomnia, up from 28 per cent in 2020. In the ACT, the proportion is even higher at 38 per cent, likely driven by shift workers in government and the territory’s growing population of remote professionals with irregular schedules.

Where to get help in the capital

The Canberra Sleep Centre on Strickland Crescent in Deakin offers full polysomnography studies-overnight monitoring of brain waves, oxygen levels, heart rate and breathing-at a cost of $1,950 for uninsured patients. With a GP referral, Medicare covers around $650 of that, leaving an out-of-pocket gap of roughly $1,300. The clinic saw 1,420 patients in 2025-26, up from 1,020 three years earlier.

At Garran’s Canberra Hospital, the public sleep unit runs three nights a week and has a waiting list of 14 to 18 weeks for non-urgent studies. Patients with suspected severe sleep apnoea or neurological disorders are fast-tracked within three weeks. The unit’s five beds operate at 92 per cent occupancy, according to the most recent ACT Health annual report.

The University of Canberra’s sleep research lab in Bruce offers low-cost screening for participants in ongoing studies, including a current trial on light exposure and circadian rhythms. Recruitment runs through the UC website, with participants receiving a $100 supermarket voucher after completing a two-week at-home sleep diary and one laboratory visit.

Why sleep matters more than ever

Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to a 48 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a 2019 meta-analysis in the European Heart Journal found, and to a 30 per cent higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. In the ACT, where the population is among the nation’s most physically active but also the most screen-dependent per capita, experts say the disconnect is stark.

Beyond Blue ACT runs a free telephone and online sleep support program for anxiety-related insomnia, which saw a 25 per cent increase in calls from Canberra postcodes between January and June this year. The service does not require a GP referral.

For residents who prefer non-clinical options, the parkrun at Tuggeranong-held every Saturday at 8 am along the Lake Tuggeranong foreshore-has started a monthly “sleep-friendly” run that begins 30 minutes later to accommodate those with delayed sleep-phase disorder. Participation has averaged 87 runners per event since the change was introduced in April.

ACT Health advises anyone experiencing persistent sleep issues-difficulty falling asleep more than three nights a week for three months, or waking unrefreshed despite adequate time in bed-to see their GP for a referral to a sleep specialist. A full list of Medicare-rebatable sleep clinics in the Canberra region is available on the ACT Health website.