Newstalk Weekend Falling asleep faster & waking up properly rested in the New Year
Dec 27, 2025
Fiona Brennan, a clinical hypnotherapist and sleep expert, shares her insights on better sleep in the New Year. She emphasizes nurturing a healthy relationship with sleep and addresses common issues like stress and late nights that hinder rest. Fiona warns against relying on sleep trackers, advocating for effective wind-down routines instead. She discusses how sleep needs evolve with life changes, offering practical strategies to adapt. Plus, she introduces her upcoming webinar aimed at resetting sleep habits through visualization and lifestyle adjustments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Treat Sleep As A Relationship
- Fiona Brennan frames sleep as a relationship you must nurture rather than an automatic resource.
- Treat sleep like a best friend by prioritizing and caring for it to improve outcomes.
Clients Fall Asleep But Wake Early
- Fiona Brennan observes many clients fall asleep easily because they're exhausted but wake later due to cortisol spikes.
- She notes waking intact is the bigger problem than initial sleep onset.
REM Sleep Helps Process Emotions
- REM sleep processes emotions because emotional brain areas stay active while stress chemicals are reduced.
- This makes REM a safe window to process difficult feelings without triggering the stress response.