The Better Sleep Clinic

14/10/2026

🔵 FYI: Did you know your skin has its own body clock - and bad sleep throws it off?

Turns out poor sleep doesn't just leave you tired. It may be affecting your skin too.

New research shows skin cells follow their own daily rhythm, tied closely to sleep and light exposure.
When sleep is disrupted - through insomnia, jet lag, or shift work - it can affect skin barrier function and inflammation, potentially playing a role in conditions like eczema and psoriasis, and even skin ageing.

Bottom line:
Good sleep isn't just about energy and mood - it may be part of keeping your skin healthy too.

Read the full study 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/30417b562610-skin

13/10/2026

Are the newer Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist (DORA) sleeping pills better than the old sleeping pills? 💤

We look at a recent review of 77 clinical trials on DORAs, the sleep medications sold as Belsomra, Dayvigo and Quviviq, to see what they do to sleep and what you might expect.
Here's what we're sharing:

- How do DORAs work differently from older sleeping pills like benzodiazepines and Z-drugs?
- How much extra sleep do they actually add each night?
- Do they stop you waking at 3 a.m., or just help you get back to sleep?
- Did people rate their sleep as much better on these sleeping pills?
- What are the most common side effects, and what happens when you stop?

Read more: https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/DORA-Insomnia-fb

Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists (DORAs) like Belsomra, Dayvigo and Quviviq are a new class of sleeping pills that block the brain’s wake signal. A review of 77 trials shows how much sleep they add, and what to watch for

12/10/2026

🟡 CAUTION/NUANCE: Is more sleep always better? Not quite.

A 30-year study found a surprising catch about sleeping 9+ hours.
- People who reported sleeping 9 hours or more had a higher risk of dying from any cause (about 17% higher).
- Those sleeping 6 hours or less showed no significant difference.

This is an association study, it doesn't prove anything.
Long sleep can be a sign of something else going on, like high blood pressure, depression or sleep apnoea, rather than the cause itself.
Sleep was also only asked about once.

Bottom line:
If you regularly need 9+ hours and still feel flat, get it checked rather than spending more time in bed.
If you don't sleep "8 hours" and you feel fine - don't stress.

Read the full study 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/2a9c452c-long-sleep

07/10/2026

🟡 CAUTION/NUANCE: Is your parent's sleeping tablet doing more harm than good?

New research on insomnia in older adults looking at 22 studies found one option that works without the risk, and one that comes with a catch.

The catch:
- benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (like zopiclone) were linked to roughly 47% higher fall risk, plus concerns about memory and thinking.
- CBT-I, a structured programme that retrains sleep habits, improved sleep efficiency (time in bed actually asleep) and cut time awake in the night by about 23 minutes. Exercise and music therapy also showed benefit.
- if medication is need, DORAs, a new class of sleeping pills, had the best efficacy-safety balance, though the effect on sleep onset was modest

Results varied between studies, so it won't look the same for everyone.
Never stop a sleeping tablet suddenly.

Talk with the prescriber about a gradual plan and ask about CBT-I.

Read the full study 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/18d10f39-older

07/10/2026

Waking up at 3 a.m. needing the bathroom, then lying awake for an hour? 🌙

Here's what we're sharing in our latest post about insomnia and nocturia, the medical term for waking up to p*e at night.

- Which comes first, the waking or the urination?
- Do people with insomnia really get up to p*e more often?
- What happens to your sleep when you have both?
- Could insomnia itself change how much urine your body makes overnight?
- Can treating insomnia cut down the bathroom trips?
- Should you tackle the insomnia or the bladder first?

If this sounds like your nights, read more 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/urinate-fb

Waking to p*e, then lying awake for an hour? Research links insomnia to nearly double the odds of nocturia (nighttime urination), and treating one may help the other. Here’s why

29/09/2026

Stopped your sleeping pill and had a terrible first night? That might not be your insomnia coming back. 🌙

Here's what we're sharing in our latest post about rebound insomnia, and why the first nights off sleeping pills can be so misleading:

- Why is your sleep sometimes worse after stopping a pill than it was before you ever started?
- Can healthy volunteers with no sleep problems end up sleeping badly after stopping a sleeping pill?
- How long does rebound insomnia usually last, and which nights are the hardest?
- Are some sleeping pills more likely to cause rebound insomnia than others?
- How can you tell a short-lived rebound from a true relapse of your insomnia?
- What's the smartest thing to do before you stop a sleeping pill?

Read more 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/rebound-insomnia-fb

Is your sleep worse since you stopped a sleeping pill? Find out what rebound insomnia is, why it happens, and how to tell it from your insomnia returning

23/09/2026

🟡 CAUTION: Living with chronic pain and bad sleep? Not all "sleep fixes" are equal

A major new review compared medications used for sleep problems in people with ongoing pain - looking at 98 studies and almost 29,000 people.

The standout:
- melatonin improved sleep without extra safety risks.
- other options, including stronger painkillers and nerve medications, also helped sleep, but came with more side effects and weaker evidence.

Bottom line:
- If pain is wrecking your sleep, ask your GP or sleep clinician about melatonin and non-drug options like CBT-I before reaching for something stronger. The side effects may not be worth the benefit

Read the full study 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/a253d341-painmeds

23/09/2026

Think waking up at 3am or feeling wiped out by 8pm is just "part of getting older"? 😴

Here's what we're sharing in our latest post about sleep and ageing

- Does deep sleep actually decline with age, or is that mostly a myth?
- Why do so many older adults suddenly become "morning people," whether they like it or not?
- Is insomnia really a normal part of getting older, or a sign something else is going on?
- What's actually behind those 3am wake-ups for older individuals?
- Could sleep apnea, restless legs, other conditions or even medications be playing a bigger role than people realise?
- When does poor sleep in later life actually need a specialist?

Read more 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/sleep-aging-fb

Poor sleep isn't inevitable with age. See what the research says really changes as you get older, and the treatable causes behind most sleep complaints

21/09/2026

🟡 CAUTION: Is your teen's weekend sleep-in linked to their anxiety?

A huge new review (235,000+ teens) found a real, if small, link between "social jetlag" (big shifts between school-night and weekend sleep) and anxiety symptoms.

The nuance:
- It's a small association, and it doesn't prove one causes the other
- Teens naturally want to sleep later than some school start times allow, which drives this shift
- American Academy of Pediatrics recommends school starts times no earlier than 8:30am

Bottom line:
- Keeping your teen's sleep-wake timing more consistent across the week, weekends included, is a low-risk habit worth encouraging alongside anything else you're doing for their anxiety.

Read the full study 👇
https://read.thebettersleepclinic.com/3a327dc1-teenanxsj

16/09/2026

🌙 Melatonin is one of the most popular over-the-counter sleep aids, but does it really help with chronic insomnia?
A review of 24 clinical trials gives us some clear—and surprising—answers.

What we cover! 👇
✨ For Adults with Primary Insomnia (insomnia on its own):
- Does melatonin help you fall asleep faster or sleep longer in a meaningful way?
- What is the average time saved falling asleep on melatonin?
- Does melatonin improve how adults feel about their sleep quality?
- What about for melatonin for adults with comorbid insomnia (insomnia alongside other health issues) and kids?

Check out the full post 👉

Thinking of using melatonin for chronic insomnia in New Zealand? Discover what the latest science says about its effectiveness. We reveal why it's often ineffective for adults but can effective in some populations. Get the facts before you ...