Sleep better tonight and the downside of alarms with Dr. Els van der Helm

Did you know there is a waste management system for your brain? Essentially, it is responsible for carrying fresh fluids into and waste fluids out of your brain. This happens mostly during sleep. So, what then if you don't get enough sleep?
While I do not have the answer to that question, I can tell you how I feel when I don't get good quality sleep. And I'm sure your story would be similar. Groggy. Lethargic. Foggy. Irritable. You know the drill.

I have lucked out on my fair share of sleep in my lifetime. I've also had my sleep cycles interrupted far too many times. Having a young child with epilepsy means I never really switch off, simply because a seizure can happen without warning.

I’ve slept in hospital passages, on the floor in hospital rooms, and prior to Zoe being born, I even slept in backup studios between radio shows. This sleep I speak of was never restorative. And I know now how much of an impact this added to my burnout.

Dr. Els van der Helm is a sleep neuroscientist and joins me on this episode from her home office in Switzerland. Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global named Dr. van der Helm one of the top 5 sleep experts in the world. Els, she said I can call her by her first name, is very much focused on helping us improve our day-to-day performance by improving the sleep of business leaders and their teams.

Because keeping it together is so much harder than we ever thought it would be, I really hope this episode of Some Assembly Required gives you insight into how your brain works when you're not thinking about it.

Get in touch with my guest by connecting on social media - LinkedIn + Instagram
Or visit Dr. Els van der Helm's website for more information. Dr. Els van der Helm - LinkedIn · Dr. Els van der Helm - Instagram · Visit Dr. Els van der Helm's website for more information.

About Something Shifted

Something Shifted is a documentary-style, narrative podcast about identity after interruption. It tells stories of life before and after pivotal moments of change, where familiar structures fall away and new ways of being slowly emerge. Hosted by South African broadcaster Sean Loots, the podcast explores grief, resilience, transformation, and the lived experience of becoming someone different after life changes unexpectedly.

These are stories of life after interruption, told with honesty, detail, and emotional depth.

Listen to more episodes

Explore more narrative stories of identity, resilience, and life transition wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to Something Shifted: The Soundtrack on Spotify