The Ad Standards Community Panel ruled Sleep Clinics Albury Wodonga breached the Australian Association of National Advertisers code of conduct.

In the advertisement, a voiceover asks "On edge? Bruised ribs?" and a woman is shown hurting a man as she elbows him in the ribs in response to him snoring in the cinema.

The voiceover then asks "slight concussion?", and the woman pushes the man out of bed, before the voice continues.

"These are some of the symptoms which could lead to serious consequences," it says.

"So save yourself and your loved one."

A complaint was made to both Sleep Clinics Albury Wodonga and Ad Standards.

"In these sensitive times, I find this offensive as the woman's behavior demeans, humiliates, embarrasses and physically abuses her partner," the complainant wrote.

"Had the roles been portrayed in reverse, where the woman had sleep issues and the man elbows his partner and gets pushed out of bed, there would have been an out cry over violence against women."

The business took down the advertisement as soon as the complaint was made.

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The determination from Ad Standards Community Panel stated the depiction of someone in pain was more than just slapstick violence.

"The panel noted that there is significant community concern relating to the issue of domestic violence and that a depiction of a woman physically abusing her partner was in contrast with this concern," it stated.

"The basic premise of the advertisement relating to a snoring partner is a common scenario in many homes however the panel considered that the depiction of the woman resorting to physical harm on her partner to address this common matter is not in line with prevailing community standards.

"The panel considered that the nature and level of domestic violence depicted in the advertisement was not justifiable in the context of advertising a sleep clinic."

Sleep Clinics Albury Wodonga owner Amanda Ward said she and the business did not condone domestic violence.

"The ad was designed for us by an ad agency so I went off them, that's their area of expertise. Never was there a mention it should depict any kind of violence," she said.

"You try to go on what people advise you.

"They came up with that idea for the ad and I trusted them.

"Obviously I thought it was that gentle shake to say wake up, but someone else saw it differently and I accept that."

It is common for the clinic's patients with sleep apnea to say their partner gives them a push when they are snoring and then suddenly stop, to check they are still breathing.

"It's a care thing, not a harmful thing, and that's what we were trying to depict," Ms Ward said.

"It's very real, someone snoring in bed.

"You're trying to relate them them and say there actually might be a reason for this."

Sleep Clinics Albury Wodonga's current television advertisement was filmed at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre and shows a man's friend taking his car keys and driving after the man was yawning throughout a basketball game.

"We were very considered this time around," Ms Ward said.