An Australian team of researchers has published a study in Lancet Psychiatry, endorsing sleep therapy as a differential treatment for depression.

The team, consisting of researchers from universities in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and the US, studied the link between depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and insomnia.

According to the results, four in five people with depression are also thought to have sleep disorders, while two in five insomniacs have undiagnosed depression.

Moreover, the team introduced an online insomnia program called SHUTi, which they claim can suppress stress and depression.

SHUTi is an automated program developed in the US, which takes people through a six-week regimen in order to address the psychological underpinnings of insomnia, at the cost of $200.

Black Dog director Helen Christensen said the SHUTi study tracked more than 500 insomniacs with depression symptoms, but not a major depressive disorder, for six months after they completed SHUTi. “This program had the same level of effects expected of face-to-face treatment,” she said.

“It’s an inexpensive way of inoculating the population at risk. They don’t even need to see their GP.”

The program combines traditional everyday tips to improve the quality of sleep with cognitive behavioural therapy.

Ally Nicolopoulos, 29, a PhD psychology candidate, has been suffering from insomnia since childhood.

About two years ago, doctors attributed the problem to mental illness, after she was diagnosed with depression.

“I go through the day, get home and have absolutely no sleep. The next night, perhaps I get an hour because my body shuts down on me. I only sleep when my body decides it’s had enough. It’s like somebody getting into your brain and ripping it open,” Ms Nicolopoulos told The Australian.

“SHUTi helped me explain why sleeping tablets had given me little relief. It’s making sense to me now. The insomnia is coming from a different source.”