This podcast will empower you to improve your sleep, protect your health and navigate the world of health & wellbeing.
Build a pathway to better sleep and a more energetic life, navigate through health trends, myths, the hype. The podcast distils down the lateset science into powerful everyday actions that improve your sleep, protect your health and bring energy back into your life.
Fix your Sleep, fix your life.
This podcast will empower you to improve your sleep, protect your health and navigate the world of health & wellbeing.
Build a pathway to better sleep and a more energetic life, navigate through health trends, myths, the hype. The podcast distils down the lateset science into powerful everyday actions that improve your sleep, protect your health and bring energy back into your life.
Fix your Sleep, fix your life.
In this deeply fascinating episode, I sit down with Martin McDonagh, a counsellor, therapist, author, and spiritual guide, to explore the profound journey of spiritual growth, emotional regulation and self-understanding. Together, we unpack what it means to live with purpose, embrace life’s transience, and find meaning in both pleasure and pain.
Martin shares timeless insights drawn from his years of therapeutic and spiritual practice — offering wisdom on navigating anger, loneliness, fear, and acceptance. Martin shares his journey from the Himalayas, to India, to Death Valley and the teaching he learned along the way. The conversation invites listeners to look inward, to take responsibility for their own path, and to find fulfillment through awareness and compassion.
Spiritual Growth & Destiny: How we can uncover our deeper purpose and align with our true path.
The Transient Nature of Life: Accepting impermanence as the gateway to peace and gratitude.
The Shadow Side: Understanding the hidden aspects of ourselves and how they shape our fulfillment.
Pleasure and Pain: Why both are essential teachers on the spiritual journey.
Anger as a False Power: How anger robs us of presence and clarity — and how to move beyond it.
Loneliness, Fear & Acceptance: Learning to sit with discomfort and transform it into connection and growth.
Embracing Suffering: Seeing suffering not as punishment but as a pathway to spiritual awakening.
The Journey of the Self: Taking responsibility for your own growth and discovering meaning through awareness.
“Spiritual growth isn’t about escaping pain — it’s about allowing it to teach you who you really are.” – Martin McDonagh
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it — it helps others find the show.
🧭 Topics Covered🌿 Key Takeaway🔗 Connect with Martin McDonagh🎧 Listen Now
In this incredible episode, I speak to Kadam Adam Starr — meditation teacher and practitioner of the Kadampa Buddhist Tradition. Kadam Adam is the principal teacher at Tara Kadampa Meditation Centre Dublin which is dedicated to teaching meditation and Buddhist practices in a way to make it accessible to people in everyday life. The teachings place an emphasis on mindful awareness, emotional wellbeing, spiritual growth, and using meditation to help with sleep and mental clarity. It was such an insightful and powerful episode for me.
In this episode we covered:
Why Meditation for the Mind at Night
How the mind often “winds up” at bedtime with worries, thoughts, stress.Using meditation to calm mental chatter, reduce anxiety, and help with insomnia or restless thoughts.
Managing Emotions Through Meditation
Spirituality and Perspective
Practical Daily Meditation Guidance
How to build a meditation routine: short sessions, consistency.
Advice for people who feel they “don’t have time” or their mind is “too busy.”
Tools: guided apps vs silence; posture; environment.
This was an incredible episode and hugely powerful and applicable for people. I hope you enjoy.
Tom
In this episode, I sit down with Brian Crooke! The most well known and liked man in Wellbeing as a true thought leader in the field of Workplace Wellbeing. We covered so much in this episode:
Workplace Wellness Today
Why wellbeing initiatives often fall short when they’re treated as a “tick-the-box” exercise.
The importance of embedding wellbeing into organizational culture rather than just offering surface-level perks.
Burnout in High-Performance Workplaces
Signs leaders should look for in their teams.
How workload, lack of recovery, and poor boundaries fuel chronic stress.
The role of managers in supporting recovery, not just pushing performance.
Fostering a Culture of Recovery
Recovery as a pillar of sustainable performance — not a “nice to have.”
Encouraging psychological safety so employees can rest without guilt.
Simple but powerful recovery strategies (e.g. sleep, breaks, movement, disconnection from work).
Sustainable performance is impossible without recovery.
True workplace wellness is about culture and leadership, not yoga classes or fruit bowls.
Burnout prevention requires proactive structures, not reactive fixes.
In this episode I sat down Dr Clare Corish. Professor of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at UCD, with over 15 years of hands-on dietetic practice in Ireland, the UK, and Saudi Arabia.
She spearheaded Ireland’s first professional graduate programme in clinical nutrition and dietetics and has an extensive track record in research, education, and clinical practice.
We spoke about Nutrition for Shift Workers
Dietary patterns and challenges: Shift workers often report skipping meals, poor dietary choices, insufficient sleep, and low physical activity—factors that increase health risks.
Barriers identified: Insufficient breaks, irregular work patterns, limited healthy food availability, and fatigue drive unhealthy behaviours among shift workers.
Broader implications: These lifestyle disruptions contribute to increased risk of obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and psychosocial stress.
Gut Health & General Well-Being
Dr Corish's spoke about the link between disrupted eating/sleep patterns and gastrointestinal and mental health. This is well supported in broader literature.
We explored how irregular meal timing, poor food choices, and stress can influence digestive health and overall wellbeing, plus strategies for nurturing resilience and sleep health in demanding schedules.
Actionable Takeaways
Practical tips:
Establish consistent meal timing where possible;
Prioritize whole foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and proteins;
Reduce reliance on vending machines and soft drinks;
Advocate for adequate break times and recovery routines.
Highlighting the importance of workplace environment: Healthy habits aren’t just individual choices—they’re shaped by work conditions.
Public health perspective: Dr Corish emphasizes tailored interventions for shift workers and the need for nutrition education embedded in workplace wellness policies.
In this episode, I sit down with Deirdre Culbert, a highly experienced humanistic and integrative psychotherapist, certified by both the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) and the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
Deirdre brings over 20 years of experience in the multinational technology sector, giving her a unique perspective on the mental and emotional challenges faced by professionals today—especially around burnout, work-life balance, and managing stress in high-pressure environments.
We explore:
How burnout develops and why it’s more than just “being tired”
Practical tools to regulate your nervous system during stressful times
The role of self-awareness in building emotional resilience
Why workplace culture can either fuel or fight burnout
How leaders can support their teams through empathy and understanding
The importance of recognizing life transitions and seeking support early
Deirdre’s person-centered approach draws on Psychodynamic Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Object Relations Therapy, and Body Psychotherapy—tailored to each individual’s needs. Throughout our conversation, she shares compassionate, actionable advice that listeners can apply right away, whether you’re a professional under pressure, a leader supporting a team, or someone navigating personal challenges.
This episode is packed with insights for anyone who wants to better understand themselves, manage stress, and foster recovery in both life and work.
Connect with Deirdre:
🌐 www.deirdreculbert.com (replace with actual link)
In this powerful episode, I sit down with global consultant Alan O’Neill, founder of Kara, a leading expert in organizational change and high-performance culture. Alan brings decades of experience helping businesses navigate transformation while staying true to their core values.
We dive into the "golden thread of culture" – that often invisible, but essential element that connects purpose, people, and performance within every successful organization.
Whether you're a business leader, manager, or part of a team navigating change, this episode offers practical insights on how to align strategy with culture to drive long-term results — without burning people out in the process.
💡 In this episode, we cover:
What culture really means — beyond slogans and posters
The golden thread: how culture connects strategy, leadership, and performance
Why recovery and reflection matter just as much as productivity
How to support people through organizational change
Common pitfalls companies face during transformation
Alan’s real-world experience with brands like Harrods and Primark
Actionable takeaways for leaders looking to build high-performing, resilient teams
🔗 Learn more about Alan’s work at Kara.ie
The Sleep & Health Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zenflore Calm & Precision Biotics.
🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
In this fascinating episode, I’m joined by Donncha Phelan, founder of Active Body Clinic and a leading specialist in Vagus Nerve Regulation.
We explore the powerful role the vagus nerve plays in regulating stress, recovery, digestion, sleep, and emotional wellbeing — and why it's often the missing link in both physical and mental health.
Donncha breaks down:
What the vagus nerve actually is — and why it matters
Signs your nervous system might be stuck in "fight or flight"
Simple, practical ways to activate the vagus nerve daily
How vagal tone affects pain, anxiety, inflammation, and even burnout
The link between trauma, tension, and nervous system dysregulation
Whether you're an athlete, a shift worker, a parent, or someone dealing with chronic stress — this episode is full of insights to help you better understand your body and build real resilience from the inside out.
🧠💪 Calm your system. Improve recovery. Feel human again.
In this episode I speak with author, expert and menopause advocate Catherine O Keefe. Catherine is a trailblazer in breaking the silence around menopause and helping both individuals and organizations navigate this life stage with clarity and confidence.
We talk about the real impact of menopause on energy, sleep, mood, and performance — and why this conversation matters just as much at home as it does in the workplace. Catherine also shares incredible knowledge on hormonal shifts, what you can do to manage these and what to discuss with your doctor.
Whether you're going through menopause yourself, supporting someone who is, or leading a team — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
In this powerful first episode, we dive into how to hack your brain for better sleep, calm anxiety, and take back control in a world full of distractions.
Whether you're battling busy thoughts at bedtime or looking for practical ways to boost mental clarity and rest — this one’s for you.
🧠💤 Mindset, sleep, performance — it’s all connected. And Keith breaks it down like never before.
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple & everywhere you get your podcasts.
What we Drink
In this week’s episode I delve into the world of coffee, tea, alcohol, energy drinks and look at how our choices can have powerful effects on our health. That can be very health protective or very destructive for our health and sleep.
What’s right for me?
Do you have the "coffee gene"? Find out what your tolerances are. I help you develop the best strategy for you. As an avid coffee lover, I teach you how much and when is the best time for coffee, we also talk about the multiple benefits of Tea and Cacao and other drinks.
I wanted to use the space here to cite a vast body of research papers to back up all the claims either positive or negative. Please leave your comments or questions as always!
Energy Drink Studies
Cacao Study -Cosmos Study
Sesso HD, et al; COSMOS Research Group. Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1490-1500. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac055. PMID: 35294962; PMCID: PMC9170467.
Green Tea
Musial C, Kuban-Jankowska A, Gorska-Ponikowska M. Beneficial Properties of Green Tea Catechins. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Mar 4;21(5):1744. doi: 10.3390/ijms21051744. PMID: 32143309; PMCID: PMC7084675.
Snoring!
Snoring can have a very powerful and negative effect on our sleep, our lives and our relationships! The most important part of the episodes is looking at prevention and treatment of snoring:
Snoring Prevention
1. Lifestyle changes
To treat your snoring, your doctor likely will first recommend lifestyle changes, such as:
· Losing weight -weight loss
· Avoiding alcohol close to bedtime
· Stop smoking
· Treating nasal congestion
· Avoiding sleep deprivation
· Avoiding sleeping on your back
· Elevate the head of your bed
· Nose breathing to give more integrity to nasal tissues
· Get checked for nasal polyps.
2. Oral Exercises
What are these? These are exercises for your tongue, mouth and neck muscles that will strengthen them and prevent them from falling back your throat at night while you sleep.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqhts06WECQ
3. Airway Openers - Oral appliances.
Oral appliances are form-fitting dental mouthpieces that help advance the position of your jaw, tongue and soft palate to keep your air passage open. There 2 types really, one is called a mandible advancement device and the other holds the tongue in place.
4. Mouth Taping
Some people use Buteyko breathing to manage asthma symptoms and other respiratory problems, but it also has its own risks and safety precautions that people should consider.
When Should You See a Doctor About Snoring?
Many instances of snoring are benign, but it is important to talk with a doctor if there are signs of potential sleep apnoea:
· Snoring that occurs three or more times per week
· Very loud or bothersome snoring
· Snoring with gasping, choking, or snorting sounds
· Obesity or recent weight gain
· Daytime drowsiness
· Lack of focus or mental sharpness
· Morning headaches and congestion
· High blood pressure
· Nighttime teeth grinding
· Frequent nighttime urination
Sleeping pills may aggravate snoring associated with sleep apnoea by depressing the respiratory system and increasing light sleep at the expense of REM sleep.
So lets summarize our pathway forward
1. An amazing set of ear buds that eliminate noise -I’ve recommended -flare audio -titanium
2. Lifestyle -smoking, drinking, congestive issues, weight loss
3. Oral Exercises -this is about strengthening the integrity of the tissues in the neck.
4. Airway openers -physically opening the airway to allow more air through the airway. Mandible devices, tongue holders
5. Mouth Taping – definitely worth a go
6. Social elements -may have to move bedroom.
This one is simple -The Racing Mind -just lay back, relax and let go of the day.
This episdoe is a very practical one, it is a meditation for those of you with a racing mind. You are the only one capable of changing that, of retraining that racing mind.
No more description, only one instruction -listen to this every night for 6 weeks and your mind will be a much calmer, more peaceful and serene place to be.
Enjoy!
Episode 7 – Dreams
Welcome to episode 7 of the Sleep & Health Podcast.
The brain is in a very active state when we are dreaming -the dream state is known as paradoxical sleep. In today episode -
1. Why we Dream? What is the function?
1. Regulating our emotions.
2. Rehearsal of threats -VR simulator
Dreaming help process our everyday emotions and memories.
Dreaming happens in a part of the brain a part of the hippocampus, responsible for emotional processing. The brain combines events that have happened in real life with different emotions, feelings and outcomes and this is where the VR simulator comes into play. If you don’t get a good nights sleep, your ability to control emotions the next day is compromised.
Dreams create a safe space where the brain can work out real-life problems and issues without real life consequences.
When you dream, you go into a state of self-induced paralysis. This is known as Atonia -the only muscles that work etc..
The brain must suppress physical movement because they are very real and one of the chemicals it suppresses is nor-adrenaline -this is adrenaline for the brain. What does that do? Why is that important? It makes us chemically immune to stress while we dream
2. Replenish neurotransmitters.
Dreaming is like a chemical fertilizer for the activation of neurons.
3. Enhancing creativity & ability to think outside the box
The ability to zone out and daydream is how our brain makes non-linear pathways between 2 points -If finds solutions to problems - the standard solutions are not working, so we must think creatively.
4. Neuroplasticity & Learning.
When we study for an exam, we try to cram in a ton of information into the brain. We have a limited capacity -think about it like RAM for a computer. It gets to a point where we push too much in and we lose earlier information.
5. Atonia and sleep paralysis
This is important so we don’t act out our dreams. The nervous system incapacitates the muscular system. It does this as we enter the dream state or REM sleep. Then as we finish our dreams, there is a reactivation of the muscular system.
6. Nightmares vs Night Terrors
There are some key differences here between nightmares and night terrors.
Scheduled awakening is often the go-to treatment since night terrors occur around roughly the same time each night.
For older children and adults, behavioural therapy can often help reduce stress and improve sleep. Although research on therapy for night terrors remains limited, potential treatments include psychotherapy, relaxation therapy or hypnosis.
7. Interpreting Dreams
· Being Chased
Being chased is maybe about running away from something, Any stressful period in life can bring about chasing dreams, and they are especially common for those of us who avoid confrontation, and conflict.
· Being Naked in Public
· Falling
· Flying
· Losing Teeth
· Taking a Test
· Dying
This weeks episode focuses on the foundation of sleep -the Physical Components. These are all controllable and very powerful. Please do not underestimate the impact these can have on sleep.
This week we will
1. Look at the poerful physical levers (the foundations ) that influence sleep.
2. From that, creating a Road map and framework of the controllables.
When it comes to sleep there are so many things that can go wrong or can negatively influence sleep: Kids, stress, anxiety, scrolling WL balance, sleep environment, poor cognitive habits -its often a combination of these things. The nature of the problem will inform the solution.
1. Light
Controlling light inputs at the right time. We know about avoiding white/blue light at night -the reason being, it shuts down melatonin secretion in the brain. It is equally important to that is that we need that white blue light during the day.
2. Caffeine
Coffee, tea, energy drinks and other caffeine containing products.
The cut off for caffeine is about lunchtime -caffeine has a half-life of 8 hours.
Actionable- Sleepy herbal teas, no caffeine after 1pm
3. Food
When we eat, it tends to signal to the brain to push us into “rest & digest” and we often get a release of the feel-good hormone serotonin as well.
4. Rituals & Routines - cueing control
Your ritual for sleep should start hours before bed -don’t worry, its not about creating a huge complex set of actions, it starts by reminding yourself that when the evening comes, that’s the time we need to start to wind down -physically, emotionally and cognitively.
Actionable Steps:
· Have a cut off point for work related messages and emails.
· Have a cut off point for other friend groups and social media.
· Maybe change into your chill out clothes and set the bedroom up
· Have a warm shower.
· Get a cup of sleepy tea.
· Get your eye mask ready.
· Head to bed when you feel tired & do your mental wind down exercise.
5. Technology
The scrolling is what’s detrimental. Listening to a podcast -this one! Music, relaxing sounds is fine. As long as there is visual stimuli feeding the brain our brain wave pattern simply cannot transition in stage 1 sleep!
How long before bedtime? Up to you, how fast can you unwind from the stimuli -it’s the alerting, stimulating effect it has on the brain -reverse snooze button.
Actionable
· set a reverse snooze button.
· Listen don’t look for mental wind down
6. Temperature
From 5pm the core temperature must lower by 1-2 degrees in order to achieve sleep. That drop in temperature is a prompt to our brain t produce more melatonin and sleep.
Actionable:
· Have a hot shower 1-2 hours before sleep & keep the room cool.
7. Environment
We want a bedroom which is conducive to sleep, a sensory haven, a sacred space for sleep, rest & relaxation. Make sure you have a good pillow, clean sheets, nice smells in the room.
8. Exercise
Get lots of movement through the day. High intensity exercise earlier in the day and lower intensity exercise later in the day. Both lower nocternal cortisol secretion.
Next week -Dreams!
In this episode, the key focus is around cycles of sleeping and living!
We talk about:
o How you can work with body/your physiology to get better quality sleep.
o We’ll look at the Your body clock – or CR & how we align that and work with the natural cycles of our brain and body.
o For eg. - What actually works when it comes to increasing deep sleep?
In the second part of the episode we look at some of the root causes of why there is so much sleep disruption & ill health in our society and how we are living.
Sleep Requirement
The first step for anyone looking to improve their sleep is to establish how much sleep they require. You can look at this per nigh and over the course of a week. Zoom out when it comes to sleep and see how many 90-minute sleep cycles you need over 7-10 days.
How do I know if I'm getting enough?
Don't use how you feel when you wake up as a barometer and this can vary greatly and many people feel tired and groggy upon waking. See how you feel after 30-60 minutes and see how the energy levels are through the day. Are you experiencing daytime sleepiness? Do you feel like you could easily fall asleep and have low energy? Then you probably need more sleep!
How can I get more deep sleep?
Youi are all fascinated with deep sleep but light sleep is equally important and critical for brain health. What does the scientific literature say? A few simple key activities will improve your deep sleep:
Here are the studies relating to this:
Why have we become so dysregulated?
The Body - We are not using our body for its intended purpose! We should be moving more, pushing, pulling using our muscles every day. Get into action! Sleep pressure is the chemical adenosine and this is a by-product of energy expenditure. So if we exercise we have more sleep pressure.
The Signalling Systems
We have completely overstimulated our nervous system. We need to find activities that calm us. Stop mistaking scrolling and comfort for relaxation.
The Mind
In western culture we have the untrained mind. You are the only one who can retrain the mind. Set boundaries, commit to a 6 week course of relaxation every night, you can retrain your mind.
Set clear boundaries and stick to htem, get the body into action and the mind will follow. Have a great day and a lovely night.
In this episode we look at the impact of scrolling on our sleep, our mental health and how we can implement effective strategies to get off the phones!
Addiction
There has been an explosion in addictive behaviours in recent years, an epidemic of behavioural addictions and this is having a broad and damaging effect on our health and relationships.
Scientists use dopamine to measure “the addictive potential of any experience,” The higher the dopamine release, the more addictive the thing.
Healthy sources – cold water dips, exercise, healthy food, sleep, meditation, hitting personal goals, personal development, sex.
Unhealthy Sources – online shopping, drugs, gambling, sugar & processed foods, sex
What type of damage is it doing apart from time? What about the research?
· That means we’re constantly living in our limbic brain, which processes emotions, rather than in our pre-frontal cortex, which deals with future planning and problem-solving and is important for personality development.
What that means is that we are losing our capacity to delay gratification, solve problems and we are losing our ability to deal with frustration and pain in its many different forms.”
Child/ Teenage Research
1. Association between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children & adolescents.2018 -San Diego State University
2. The relationship between internet gaming disorder & psychotic experiences: cyberbullying & insomnia. 2022- 850 students.
3. Media & Technology use predicts ill-health among children. 2014 Computers in Human Behaviour. California State University
4. Association between screen time trajectory and early Childhood development in Children. 2022. JAMA Paediatrics.
5-step Digital Management Strategy
1. Defining Boundaries -that means having a cut-off point – you have to set an alarm, decide on a time to get off social media. How long before bed? That depends on you, it could be 2 hours, or it could be 1 hour -it depends on how quickly you can wind yourself down. Set the alarm. I call this the reverse snooze button.
2. Mindful use -make sure you are being intentional about how you spend your time online. Maybe -limit mindless scrolling on social media or binge-watching videos, and instead focus on activities that add value to your life.
3. Digital Sabbaticals: Consider taking periodic breaks from digital devices, such as a weekend retreat or a longer vacation where you disconnect completely. Use this time to recharge, reflect, and engage in activities that nourish your mind and body.
4. Bedroom Activity – You can listen to anything you want in the bedroom but no scrolling. That means a podcast, music, relaxing sounds that will help you fall asleep.
5. Practice Patience -lead by example in the family. It will take time, so you can gradually shorten the time and make any necessary adjustments -this will take time to retrain your brain.
This episode is dedicated to looking at the essential functions and processes that happen while you are sleeping. We look at the vital restorations, resetting and repairs that are happening in the brain and the body to keep you healthy and balanced and ready for the world!
The 11 Systems
All these systems repair, restore, balance and need regular sleep. Each system has a timer co-ordinated by your circadian rhythm.
Cardiovascular, Digestive, Endocrine, Immune, Muscular, Nervous, Urinary, Reproductive, Respiratory, Skeletal & Integumentary (skin, hair, nails, sweat & oil glands).
4 Essential Physical Functions
1. Growth Hormone Secretion
Crucial for repairs, known as an elixir of life and youth. It repairs muscles and rejuvenates skin. About 70% of growth hormone is secreted during slow wave deep sleep. After we hit 40, growth hormone secretion drops dramatically.
Avoid stimulants and sedatives -caffeine and alcohol as they disrupt sleep
2. Fertility & Sex Hormones
The drivers of sexual function and desire are all dependent upon good sleep to work well. Less than 5 hours reduces testosterone to that of a man 10 years older.
3. Metabolic Hormone
The hormones that tell us when to eat and when we are full are profoundly impacted by a lack of sleep. The way our body deals with energy is also negatively impacted.
4. Immunity
What we want is an immune system with an appropriate immune response. People often talk about “boosting” immunity and that’s not always a good thing.
Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev. 2019 Jul 1;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018. PMID: 30920354; PMCID: PMC6689741.
4 Essential Mental & Psychological Repairs
1. Glymphatic Drainage
The brain cleans itself and flushes out toxins and plaque. Essential for your long terms brain health.
2. Emotional Health & Wellbeing
We decide what is useful and what we need to forget! We embed the positive emotions and gets rid of the negative emotional turmoil.
3. Neuroplasticity
Cognitive function, learning and how we embed memory happens during sleep. All learning is happening while we sleep!
4. Dreaming
This is how we simulate real life dangers and stressful events. Hugely important for our mental wellbeing.
Action Points
Mindset shift - Re-evaluate how you prioritize your bedtime and your sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep and going to bed on time all of the above functions, repairs will suffer.
The repairs, restoration and re-setting will take care of itself as long as you are getting sufficient quality sleep.
Episode 2 -Sleep & Stress
In this episode I look at the biggest disruptor of Sleep – Stress! This episode will help you realize that the same systems that manage stress, also manage sleep. People completely underestimate the impact of an overstimulated nervous system and how that can disrupt sleep. We must learn how to switch between our alerting system and relaxation system.
The Nervous System
We learn how two opposing systems work together to help us deal with the demands of life. I highlight the function of both systems and why they impact your health both mentally & physically.
The Stress Response -The Sympathetic System
We learn all about the stress response and how the way we are leading our lives impact our sleep. The stress response is very important for our survival and enables us to thrive under the right conditions. How can stress help us be more reproductive? What chemical messengers do to prepare us to deal with threats and how to lower these chemicals once the threat has passed. What happens our sex drive, our digestive system and other systems while we are stressed. What are the signs of an overstimulated stress response? And how does it impact my health?
The Calm Response- The Parasympathetic System
We need to learn how to de-escalate the systems in our body and mind. What types of activities help us activate the chemicals that which enhance our levels of peace, calm and happiness? I list out how we can include these health-promoting activities into our daily routine. We learn about how we can leverage our breath to induce a sense of calm. Lear the fastest scientific method to reduce stress!
Live Longer -What does the literature say about it!
The fitter we are, the more time we spend in the parasympathetic state. Here is the science:
Goldsmith RL, et al., Comparison of 24-hour parasympathetic activity in endurance-trained and untrained young men. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992 Sep;20(3):552-8. doi: 10.1016/0735-1097(92)90007-a. PMID: 1512332.
Barthelemy JC, et al., Targeting autonomic nervous system as a biomarker of well-ageing in the prevention of stroke. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Sep 15;14:969352. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.969352. PMID: 36185479; PMCID: PMC9521604.
5 Pathways to a Less Stressful Life
1. Move More – Physical activity reduces stress in many ways and is a powerful tool for our mental wellbeing and stress management.
2. Breathwork – Learn how to leverage your breath to physically reduce stress and move into “rest & digest”.
3. Boundaries – Set alarms to get off the tech and remind you to unwind!
4. Rituals – Learn how we are designed to socialize and unwind. Create your perfect wind down routine.
5. Relationships & Connection – The fastest way to bring someone back from burnout is through connecting with real people!
Key Learnings
Learn how to put everything we have learned into action and fit them into our busy demanding lives. The currencies of time energy and presence will return to your life.
Episode 1 Notes.
The Layers of Sleep
In the first episode, I delve into the many layers of sleep. This episode sets the scene and reframes how you view sleep. No matter how bad your sleep is, it can be improved.
What are the essential components for sleep? This episode looks at 4 of the most powerful chemicals that govern your ability to fall and stay asleep. I speak about periods of adaptive inactivity that are essential for humans.
I discuss the biological, psychological, social and cultural attributes to sleep. Sleep is complex and we need to understand the layers to improve our sleep. We look at what the research says on sleeping together vs sleep apart:
Sleeping Together:
Bed-Sharing in Couples Is Associated with Increased and Stabilized REM Sleep and Sleep-Stage Synchronization. Drews HJ, et al., Front Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 25;11:583. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00583. PMID: 32670111; PMCID: PMC7330166.
Bed Sharing Versus Sleeping Alone Associated with Sleep Health and Mental Health, Brandon Fuentes et al., Sleep, Volume 45, Issue Supplement_1, June 2022, Page A4, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsac079.009
The 4 Chemical Drivers
Cortisol The stress hormone designed to help us deal with stress. We need to harness the power of cortisol and manage the secretion of cortisol. Nocturnal secretion will certainly interfere with sleep. How can we naturally lower levels of cortisol? Exercise, Nutrition, Minsetset and Supplements.
Melatonin- The hormone of darkness. Melatonin prepares you for activities you do at night. Melatonin in not just about sleep -it impacts everything from fertility to brain cleaning. How can influence our melatonin secretions? Light management is key! Food choices also influence melatonin and keeping a healthy gut biome.
Adenosine – Sleep pressure or the tiredness molecule. This is what pushes you into sleep. What kind of things can influence the tiredness molecule? Caffeine and exercise are two powerful influences.
Serotonin – The happy hormone. This is a powerful driver of mood, relaxation and sleep influencer. Serotonin is a pre-cursor to the sleep hormone -melatonin. How can we naturally increase serotonin? Light, exercise, food, massage, yoga -lots of enjoyable activities.
I highlight how our daily activities, choices and behaviours profoundly influence the chemical drivers of sleep. I also deliver key messages and actionables for you to improve the appropriate levels of those chemicals.