Popular sleep apps like Sleep Cycle and Sleep Time+ could be robbing insomniacs of much needed shut-eye, a Melbourne researcher will tell a New Zealand conference.

New takes of traditional methods of getting to sleep like milk drinks and new approaches on smartphones are being discussed at the two day conference in Aotearoa.

The conference, organised by the Australasian Sleep Association, will canvass developments in insomnia, sleepiness, children's sleep, and the common snoring condition sleep apnea and its treatment.

Up for discussion will be the effectiveness of a milk powder drink enriched with the sleep hormone melatonin, iPhone apps that could leave you sleepless.