Heather Darwall-Smith Psychotherapist

Heather Darwall-Smith Psychotherapist Accredited UKCP psychotherapist in London. Authored 'The Science of Sleep,' now writing 2nd book

Red light filters sound like a clever sleep hack – but let’s be honest about what they can (and can’t) do.🔴 The good new...
18/08/2025

Red light filters sound like a clever sleep hack – but let’s be honest about what they can (and can’t) do.

🔴 The good news:
Red light is gentler on your eyes at night and has (marginally) less impact on melatonin compared to blue-white light.

⚡ The catch:
Sorry, no – it’s not a hack to carry on doomscrolling socials at midnight! The real issue isn’t the red, green or blue glow of the screen, it’s the endless content that keeps your brain busy, emotional, and wide awake.

💬 Here’s a reminder I often share with my clients: the only people who benefit from you scrolling endlessly at night are those faceless execs in tech land. Your sleep, health and peace of mind deserve better.

✨ How to use it well:
Think of a red light filter as a stepping stone. If quitting screens cold turkey feels stressful, the filter can make things easier while you practise cutting back. Pair it with small changes – like setting a realistic screen cut-off, swapping scrolling for something calming (music, journalling, reading), and keeping your phone out of bed.

🌙 Bottom line:
Red light is a tweak, not a cure. The real magic for your sleep comes from gentler habits, consistent routines, and giving your mind space to switch off.

Can you stop watching the clock like your life depends on it?Because here’s the thing - your clock genes don’t wear a wa...
10/08/2025

Can you stop watching the clock like your life depends on it?
Because here’s the thing - your clock genes don’t wear a watch. They’re deep inside your cells, quietly timing hormone releases, body temperature shifts, and energy levels. They don’t care if it’s 2:03 a.m. or 4:17 a.m. - and they certainly don’t need you checking.
When you wake and instantly look at the time, you hand the reins to your stress system. Your brain starts doing sleep maths (“Only 3 hours left!”), adrenaline rises, and your body shifts into alert mode - the exact opposite of what you need to slide back into sleep.
Your master clock - the suprachiasmatic nucleus in your brain - already knows the time from light, darkness, and behaviour cues. It will keep ticking whether you know the time or not.
Learning to trust the body’s internal processes is a big part of my work as a psychotherapist who specialises in sleep. It’s one of the hardest - and most freeing - skills my clients learn.
Tonight, try:
- Turning the clock face away.
- Using an alarm you trust so you can stop checking.
- If you wake, focus on comfort and calm, not the time.
Trust your body’s timekeeping. The less you check, the more you let your natural rhythm take over.

Ever been told to stop trying to sleep?
Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s the idea behind paradoxical intention - a CBTi ...
08/08/2025

Ever been told to stop trying to sleep?
Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s the idea behind paradoxical intention - a CBTi technique that flips your goal from “I must sleep” to “I’ll just stay awake calmly.”
It’s not magic, and it’s not for everyone. Done well, it can take the pressure off and let your body’s natural sleep drive kick in. Done without a plan, it can leave you up all night - which is why I only use it in the right situations, with tweaks and safety nets.
Sometimes, the biggest shift isn’t even more sleep - it’s realising that a rough night doesn’t always ruin the next day. That realisation can loosen anxiety’s grip and make future sleep easier.

Sleep isn’t a performance. Sometimes the fastest way to get there… is to stop aiming at it.

Yet again for all those that haven’t got the message: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/05/the-1am-shut-...
05/08/2025

Yet again for all those that haven’t got the message: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/05/the-1am-shut-eye-what-is-the-prime-bedtime-for-your-health-and-happiness... the perfect bedtime isn’t a single time on the clock; it’s individual. It’s the time that aligns with your chronotype, your age, your personal sleep needs, and when you have to wake up. Forget the “ideal”, find what works for you and stop reading content that is fluff filling the page with noise.

Stop ✋ with the sleep noise. Please 🙏

Super excited to see both of my books on the shelf here in it’s such a privilege to become a published author and so sp...
31/07/2025

Super excited to see both of my books on the shelf here in it’s such a privilege to become a published author and so special when you get to hold your books in your hands in a fantastic bookshop. Let alone sign them!

I wrote How To Be Awake So You Can Sleep Through The Night out of sheer frustration.
So much sleep advice focuses on the...
28/07/2025

I wrote How To Be Awake So You Can Sleep Through The Night out of sheer frustration.

So much sleep advice focuses on the obvious – what to do at bedtime. But sleep starts long before you close your eyes. I wanted to show that there are many other levers we can press to reduce the build-up of stress and anxiety as the day turns to night.

Yes, I cover what you might expect – routines, light, hormones – but also so much you likely haven’t considered: the biology of hyperarousal, emotional pacing, time perception, the invisible weight of mental load, and how sleep shifts across the lifespan. I tackle the role of fear too – because too much of what’s out there is scaring people into wakefulness. And I’ve made it my mission to bust the biggest sleep myths so you can let go of the guilt and start where you are.

You can find the book in hardback, audiobook, and eBook formats – available online and in all good bookshops.

Let me know what you think and if you have time, reviews are always appreciated where you buy it.

Sleepy, tired or fatigued? We mix them up all the time – so “bad sleep” gets the blame when the real drivers can be work...
27/07/2025

Sleepy, tired or fatigued? We mix them up all the time – so “bad sleep” gets the blame when the real drivers can be workload, nutrition, illness, mood or long-term conditions.

Sleepy = you could nod off right now.

Tired = low energy after effort, usually eased by rest, food or a quiet evening.

Fatigued = ongoing exhaustion that sleep and downtime don’t fix and needs checking out.

Understanding the difference also helps with the sleep anxiety that feeds insomnia.

Name it so you can fix it: adjust sleep habits if you’re sleepy, pace and refuel if you’re tired, and see your GP if you’re fatigued.

Save this to check in with yourself – and share it with someone who always says they’re “just tired”.

You slept for 9 hours but still feel like you got hit by a truck 🚛😴Here’s the truth nobody talks about - it’s not about ...
25/07/2025

You slept for 9 hours but still feel like you got hit by a truck 🚛😴

Here’s the truth nobody talks about - it’s not about how many hours you’re in bed, it’s about what happens DURING those hours.

Your 6-hour deep sleep > someone else’s 9-hour restless night ✨
Swipe to discover why sleep quality beats quantity every single time (and how to actually get both) ➡️

Save this for tonight when you’re doom scrolling instead of sleeping 📱👀

Woken up after another unrefreshobg night for you or your bed partner? Snoring shame keeps millions quiet. Sleep‑disorde...
25/07/2025

Woken up after another unrefreshobg night for you or your bed partner?

Snoring shame keeps millions quiet. Sleep‑disordered breathing is so common that in most couples at least one partner snores or struggles to breathe at night, yet embarrassment still fuels the reflex reply: “I don’t snore.” But you’re asleep – how would you know? If your partner reports gasps, pauses or that unmistakable log‑sawing rumble, trust them. They’ve no reason to invent sleepless nights, and getting checked early protects both your health and your relationship.👀

If that’s not enough to make you see your GP know that untreated sleep apnea more than doubles your chance of a drowsy‑driving car crash (severe OSA raises risk by 123 %).

Ready to breathe – and sleep – better together? See your GP about your snoring and start the conversation today.

Deeply grateful to live in the UK 🇬🇧 where the NHS provides a national screening service to scan for cancer. Yes it is a...
17/07/2025

Deeply grateful to live in the UK 🇬🇧 where the NHS provides a national screening service to scan for cancer. Yes it is a little bit uncomfortable but what’s a bit of discomfort for something that could save your life. Breast cancer mortality rates in women under 70 have decreased by 40% since the program’s inception.

If ever there were a pertinent time to talk about the concept that is my book, How To Be Awake So You Can Sleep Through ...
10/07/2025

If ever there were a pertinent time to talk about the concept that is my book, How To Be Awake So You Can Sleep Through The Night, it’s when the UK hits a heatwave.
Think daytime prep so the night feels like a cool retreat:

During daylight hours, curtains closed, Black-out blinds down, gadgets off, windows shut until the outside air dips, then let a fan (plus a frozen bottle in front) keep the breeze rolling.

Trade heavy duvets for cotton or linen sheets, and pull on light PJs that wick sweat. A lukewarm shower an hour before bed helps your body temperature sink, while regular sips of water all afternoon keep dehydration – and 3 a.m. wake-ups – at bay.

On meds such as diuretics, beta-blockers or certain antidepressants? Living with heart disease or diabetes? You’ll overheat faster, so store tablets below 25 °C and keep a glass of water within reach.

A few restless nights are normal in a hot spell; once the mercury falls, your sleep will too. This WILL pass.

And if in doubt have a cup of tea.

Until then, daytime prep is your best friend for a cooler, calmer lights-out.

So proud as an author to be invited to this fabulous night at the annual party at the where I bumped into the always e...
01/07/2025

So proud as an author to be invited to this fabulous night at the annual party at the where I bumped into the always epic Queenager and my amazing agent Jane Missed out on the paddling in the pool!

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