As we enter the colder months and daylight hours grow shorter, maintaining restful and rejuvenating sleep can become more challenging yet increasingly essential for overall well-being. At UMBRA, we understand that sleep plays a vital role in our emotional and physical resilience, impacting productivity, decision-making, and even interpersonal dynamics, let alone risk resilience. That’s why we’ve partnered with renowned sleep expert Kassi Slade, The Positive Sleep Coach, to explore practical strategies and insights to help you optimise your sleep and approach the season feeling refreshed and balanced.
Kassi’s work emphasises a positive, personalised approach to overcoming sleep disruptions that can often go overlooked in fast-paced professional lives. In this interview, she shares her methods for fostering an ideal sleep environment and explains how cultivating better sleep habits can support a Secure Lifestyle – one where your health, clarity, and focus are safeguarded. Whether you’re feeling the effects of stress, seasonal changes, or a demanding workload, Ruth’s insights offer actionable guidance to help you feel at your best.
What is a sleep coach and what is your primary mission?
A sleep coach is a professional who supports individuals to improve their sleep quality and to establish healthy sleep habits for the long term. Currently, we are experiencing a sleep crisis; there is a prevalence of sleep disorders and increased sleep disruption, which is impacting our mental, physical and emotional health, and in turn, our overall quality of life.
I set up The Positive Sleep Coach to drive change and to create positive sleep experiences for all – regardless of age, ability, race, sex, job role, or financial status. I educate and empower on the science of sleep, and I work on root cause identification analysis – when you uncover and treat the cause of a particular sleep challenge or disruption, you are able to influence restorative sleep for the long term. I work with individuals, families and businesses in order to support babies, toddlers, children, adults and working teams to thrive. Sleep is non-negotiable. It plays a crucial role in our cognitive function, physical performance, emotional regulation, decision-making, and immune function, and if we do it well, it drives optimal performance.
Prioritising your sleep will significantly enhance your ability to function in all areas of life. It is a foundational element that positively impacts every single thing we do.
What are the most common ‘sleep’ challenges you face with your clients?
It is said we don’t have sleep problems; we have ‘stress’ problems, and it should come as no surprise that since the emergence of electric light and consequent digital technologies that most of us have trouble switching off at night.
30% to 50% of adults across the UK and the US report difficulties falling asleep due to racing thoughts, anxiety, or stress. Factors such as excessive screen time, increased stress in the workplace, and lifestyle choices also contribute to an overall decline in our sleep quality, which may be expressed as frequent night wakes, an inability to get back to sleep once awake, or a consistent overwhelm of tiredness throughout the day.
Another common challenge relates to how well those in your family sleep. If you have a partner who snores or a child who is up multiple times a night, then this will likely inhibit you achieving your full sleep potential.
Similarly, businesses often contact me when their workforce are suffering. Underslept employees produce fewer creative solutions, exert less effort in a working group, are less efficient, less productive, experience less motivation, are less decisive, and incur increased errors in the workplace, so a well-slept workforce really is the recipe for success! Chronic exhaustion costs most first-world nations 2% of the GDP, so approximately $411 billion dollars is lost each year due to a lack of sleep. This in itself indicates a clear opportunity in the ability to reduce company costs and significantly improve the health of your teams via an education in sleep!
What are some of the scientific benefits to improved sleep?
There is not a system or process in the brain and body that is not positively impacted by sleep. Sleep is critical to clearing toxins out of the brain and allows new learning and memories to be made. Restorative ‘deep’ sleep is one of the best blood pressure medications you can imagine. It regulates insulin and blood glucose levels and is essential for the effective working of the reproductive system. Sleep also regulates our endocrine system (a complex network of glands that produce and secrete hormones) and ensures cellular repair, including muscle growth and tissue recovery. Sleep also has a profound impact on the immune system – one night of 4 hours of sleep will drop natural killer cells (body cancer fight cells) by 70%! Sleeping 5 hours per night makes you 200-300% more likely to catch a cold than someone sleeping 8 hours a night. From a cognitive standpoint, after being awake for 21 hours you are as cognitively impaired as someone who is legally drunk. For our babies and children, good sleep should never be underestimated. During the night, the body releases growth hormone, which is essential for physical growth and development. During the early years it also plays a crucial role in brain development, supporting the formation of neural connections and the consolidation of memories, enabling learning and effective cognitive functioning. Similarly, adequate sleep provides emotional regulation, improved attention, behaviour and academic performance.
How does sleep connect to Emotional Security?
The emotional circuits of the brain are changed and modified by sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation increases activity in the amygdala (our ‘emotional control centre’), causing us to react more intensely and with less thought in situations. It also affects how the brain learns to respond to fear.
During sleep, particularly during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the brain processes fear-related memories; disruption in sleep can alter this process. Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, including emotional memories. The amygdala interacts with other brain regions during sleep to process and store these memories. Insufficient sleep can impair this process, leading to difficulties in recalling emotional experiences and regulating emotions based on past (negative) experiences. Poor sleep can heighten the amygdala’s response to stress. When sleep-deprived, individuals may have exaggerated reactions to stressors, leading to a cycle of increased anxiety and decreased sleep quality. Overall, the quality and quantity of our sleep are essential for maintaining the healthy functioning of our amygdala and emotional health. Healthy sleep patterns can improve relationships, fostering a supportive environment that contributes to emotional security.
Is Snoring Normal?
One of the most common questions I get asked is ‘Is Snoring Normal?’ While snoring is common, it isn’t considered physiologically normal in the sense that it typically indicates some level of airway obstruction or dysfunction during sleep Snoring occurs when the airflow through the mouth and nose is partially blocked, often due to relaxed throat muscles, excess tissue, or nasal congestion. Any form of airway obstruction disrupts our normal breathing patterns (nasal breathing), and therefore we find ourselves operating in a nonoptimal state, which is not ideal for physiological function. In a healthy sleep state, breathing should be smooth and uninterrupted. Snoring indicates an alteration in this process, suggesting that the body may not be achieving optimal rest and recovery.
Snoring can lead to fragmented sleep, both for the snorer and any respective partners. This can result in decreased cognitive function and an increase in irritability for all concerned! Chronic snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnoea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep and is something that should be addressed to ensure long-term optimal health.
Top 5 Tips for Improved Sleep
Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, will regulate your body’s circadian rhythm (24-hr internal clock), which will positively impact your sleep-wake cycle.
It’s All About A Wind Down Routine: Create an environment that is conducive to helping you switch off and relax for bed. Engage in calming activities such as reading, stretching or practicing relaxation techniques to signal your body that it’s time for bed!
Optimise Your Sleep Environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains (less required at this time of year) or earplugs, where required to create an optimum setting and remember to remove all digital devices to avoid blue light exposure overnight.
Wait until You’re Ready for Bed: If you are anxious or wired, then it’s not time for bed. Give yourself permission to stay up later. Yes, it’s important to have the sleep opportunity there if you need it but only going into your bedroom when you’re tired will build a positive association with your bed and is much better for you than laying there awake for a few hours.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed: Reduce exposure to screens (phones, tablets, TVs) at least an hour before sleep, as the blue light emitted can interfere with melatonin (our ‘sleep’ hormone) production and disrupt sleep.
For more information on how to achieve a Secure Lifestyle, and to learn more about Kassi’s services, please get in touch. From all at UMBRA International, we wish you a blissful and refreshing night’s sleep!
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Written by Kim Garrett and Kassi Slade
