Sleep shapes every part of my life, yet I used to think about it only when it stopped working. This week, I had the chance to sit down with Associate Professor Simon Joosten, one of Australia’s leading clinician scientists in respiratory and sleep medicine, to explore why sleep matters so much and what we can all do to protect it.
Simon combines deep clinical experience with world class research, and our conversation opened my eyes to just how interconnected sleep is with memory, mood, attention and long-term health. We talked about why consistent timing can matter even more than total hours slept, the hidden risks of chronic sleep restriction, and the reason natural light still runs our internal clock.
He explains why waking up during the night is completely normal, why sleep becomes harder to “fix” when life is stressful, and how predictable routines remain the most powerful tool we have to support high quality sleep. We also explored chronotypes, individual differences, the impact of modern technology, and the tension between our personal rhythms and the structures of work and school that run to a fixed timetable.
If you have ever wondered why you feel flat, foggy or emotional after poor sleep, or why your best ideas appear after a solid night, this conversation makes the science clear. More importantly, it offers practical steps anyone can take to build healthier sleep habits in a world that constantly pulls us away from rest.
I learned a lot from this one, and I think you will too.
ABOUT IT’S NEVER ABOUT MONEY:
Joe Stephan is a Financial Planner with Stephan Independent Advisory, based in Melbourne, Australia: https://siadvisory.com.au/
It’s Never About Money is powered by Stephan Independent Advisory: https://itsneveraboutmoney.com.au
It’s Never About Money is a proud supporter of Cufa: https://www.cufa.org.au/
