The Sleep Health team at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) recently hosted a tour of its state-of-the-art-centre for Federal Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost.

During the tour, Ms Miller-Frost learned about the major impact that inadequate and disrupted sleep can have on the health and wellbeing of four-out-of-10 Australians estimated to have sleep problems.

The Sleep Health team also spoke with the MP about findings from the 2019 National Parliamentary Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness and the need to action recommendations in the report to reduce the substantial health, safety and economic consequences of untreated sleep disorders in our community.

Like many medical conditions, sleep problems disproportionally impact the most vulnerable in our community, and are often under-diagnosed. It is estimated that more than 80% of the 1.5 million adults in Australia have clinical sleep disorders that remain undiagnosed, and access to diagnosis and care remains a major barrier facing many people.

Beyond these concerning health and safety consequences, inadequate sleep is estimated to cost the Australian economy $66 billion per year.

The Sleep Health Research Group, led by Professor Danny Eckert, is currently investigating new approaches to cost- effective and accurate diagnosis of sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, and the delivery of new targeted therapy approaches.