Time off over Christmas feels luxurious- slow mornings, no alarms, later breakfasts, lazy lounging. But those small shifts can have a surprisingly fast effect on your sleep. Here’s why timing matters: Breakfast is your circadian “daytime switch.” Your internal clock uses morning food as a major signal to start daytime hormone production. When you delay breakfast: cortisol stays higher for longer energy regulation becomes erratic hunger cues shift into the afternoon and evenin

December brings celebrations, Christmas parties, mulled wine, prosecco… and with it, a huge impact on sleep quality. Not because alcohol knocks us out but because it disrupts the architecture of our sleep. Here’s what actually happens when we drink: 1. We fall asleep faster — but sleep lighter. Alcohol is a sedative, not a sleep aid. It forces the brain down into unconsciousness, skipping the natural descent into sleep stages. 2. REM sleep drops dramatically. This is your dr

We live in a world where everything is available right now and it’s destroying our sleep. We can binge entire seasons of TV through the night. We can buy snacks, meals, and caffeine 24 hours a day. We can keep lights glowing until 2 a.m. We can scroll our phones and spike our cortisol before we’ve even left the pillow. Our biology never evolved for any of this. Human beings are rhythmic. We are designed around light and dark, movement and rest, activity and recovery. But mod

December arrives with its dark mornings, early sunsets, and a natural slowing of the world… yet we often fight against it. We keep the same pace, push the same workload, socialise more, drink more, stay up later- all while ignoring what our biology is quietly asking for. But darkness isn’t a problem. Darkness is a season . Humans were designed to live in rhythm with winter: earlier evenings slower mornings warmth, rest, connection nourishment and gentle movement This is the t

When we’re unwell, the message from our body is clear: slow down, rest, and recover. Yet so many of us try to do the opposite. We push through, keep going, ignore the signs, and then wonder why the illness lingers for days (or even weeks) longer than it should. Our immune system works best when our body is allowed to pause. Sleep, low stimulation, warmth, hydration- these are basic human needs when we are unwell. As adults, we often override them because life is busy, and we

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Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health, but many people don’t realise how much alcohol can disrupt their sleep...

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Sleep is fundamental, yet it’s one of the least-discussed aspects of our well-being. We’re never really taught how to sleep well—either...

I've had the best day today supporting staff of a primary school with their sleep. It’s been so amazing to listen and support each of...