Welcome back to Triage for the Soul, first aid for the burnt out and the overwhelmed. In today’s episode, Fiona explores one of the most overlooked pillars of wellbeing: sleep.

If you’re running on empty, wired-but-tired, stuck in a loop of brain fog, sugar cravings, and emotional overwhelm, this episode is your gentle wake-up call (or… sleep call?).

We’ll break down what’s actually happening in your body when you sleep, how poor sleep quietly sabotages your health, and why it’s not your fault you’re exhausted. Fiona shares real-life examples from hospital staff, relatable insights for shift workers, and actionable, science-backed sleep strategies that don’t involve perfection or shame—just small tweaks with big impact.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome to Triage for the Soul

00:34 The Importance of Sleep

03:10 Stages of Sleep

04:14 Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

14:59 Tips for Better Sleep

20:41 Final Thoughts and Resources

What we cover in this episode:

• Signs your body is sleep-deprived (and why you shouldn’t ignore them)

• What really happens in the different sleep stages

• Why sleep is your body’s overnight repair shop

• What’s keeping you up at night—and how to stop it

• The bedtime notebook trick Fiona shares with hospital staff

• The phone-on-the-locker rule (yes, she’s serious!)

• Sleep-friendly snack ideas (hint: banana + nut butter = dream team)

• Fiona’s favourite winding-down rituals (hello bath, candle, and zero guilt)

• Breathing techniques to help you drop into rest mode fast

• Fiona’s go-to sleep resources—from doctors to podcasts to brilliant books

Resources Mentioned

Why We Sleep by Dr. Matthew Walker - https://amzn.eu/d/2juw7sS

Huberman Lab Podcast – Episode on Sleep & Circadian Rhythm - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2OZwx69tcePJ1nZfKPQRbu?si=wQUEFUFlRtWWU5IvAq1mQA

Dr. Michael Breus a.k.a. The Sleep Doctor https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/dr-michael-breus?srsltid=AfmBOoqj1FYeoy9sIKCpBlQmNqaZgGUkRq0yNadejHsNmPps6pELx1hQ

Bedside notebook & 4-7-8 breathing technique

Connect with Fiona

Share your sleep wins, struggles or questions over on Instagram: @fionaoneillwellness

👂 If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone who needs the reminder: your rest matters too.

Let’s Connect

Tag or DM me on Instagram: @FionaONeillWellness

If you would like to get in touch:

Follow Fiona on Instagram: ⁠@fionaoneillwellness⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.fionaoneill.co⁠

Email the podcast: triageforthesoul@gmail.com

This podcast was produced by: ⁠@janeassists⁠

Intro/Outro Song: Syn Cole - Need Ya [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/NeedYa Watch: http://youtu.be/