Flexibility around the clock: How to promote a less rigid and values-based approach toward sleep

Poor sleep or insomnia causes fatigue, irritability, moodiness, missed work, and accidents, with associated high economic burden, making sleep a major public health target. Historically, CBT-I is the gold standard treatment for insomnia, but it may increase perfectionism, over-control and rigidity.

ACT for insomnia has demonstrated efficacy as a promising intervention. This webinar outlines key knowledge and skills needed to engage people in effective ACT for sleep problems, either as a primary focus or as part of a wider intervention. We will demonstrate how ACT exercises and metaphors can target processes associated with hyperarousal and sleep disturbance (inflexibility, cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance) in adults, and how shifting from rigidity and over-control to values-based living can support sleep drive and circadian rhythms. Case examples from our lab will be presented.

What are the 2-3 key points that the audience will take away after attending this webinar?

• The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model can support improvements in sleep quality 
• Exercises and metaphors that can engage people with poor sleep in experiential acceptance and cognitive defusion, and change experiences maintaining hyperarousal
• The sleep drive and circadian rhythms can be used to develop values-based changes to routines that support improved sleep.

Who would benefit from attending this webinar?
Medical practitioners, allied health clinicians and clinical researchers

Chair:
Amanda Richdale,Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University

Speaker:
Dr Eric Morris, Associate Professor,Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 
Institution,Dept of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University; Northern Health, Melbourne

Dr Lauren Lawson,Senior Lecturer,Dept of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University

This webinar is free for members and $45.00 for non-members. To finalise registration, please check out your cart even if you're registering for free. To register you will need to log in with your member details, or create an account on this website if you're not a member. 

The webinar will be recorded and made available online afterwards - free to ASA members and for a small fee to others. By registering to attend, you are giving your permission to be recorded.

Please note:
We will email you the webinar access details after you register and again a few hours before the webinar commences.

Date:  Wednesday 27 August, 2025
Time:   12pm – Queensland, NSW, ACT, Tasmania and Victoria
            2pm – New Zealand
            11.30am - SA and NT
            9am – WA