In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Tea with Jules, I sit down with sleep scientist, author and advocate Dr Carmel Harrington, whose life’s work began with unimaginable loss. After the sudden infant death of her son Damien, Carmel left a successful law career to pursue a PhD in sleep medicine and has since become an internationally recognised expert in the science of sleep.
Carmel shares what actually happens in our brains and bodies while we sleep, why it impacts everything from our mood and memory to dementia risk, and how our modern, always-on lifestyles are quietly eroding one of the most important foundations of our health. If you’ve ever stayed up scrolling, pulled an all-nighter, or told yourself you can “push through” on little sleep, this conversation will gently (but firmly) change the way you think about rest. You’ll walk away with a new understanding of why sleep is non-negotiable, plus practical, realistic strategies to protect your sleep – even in busy seasons of life with kids, work, and a very full plate.
In this episode we chat about
- Carmel’s origin story
- A groundbreaking SIDS discovery
- Why sleep is not optional
- Your brain’s nightly ‘shower’
- Sleep, memory and mood
- The melatonin story
- Reclaiming sleep in a busy life
- Wind-down rituals that work
- When your brain won’t switch off
- Different sleep schedules under one roof
- The one mindset shift that changes everything
Connect with Dr Harrington
Sleep for Health
LinkedIn
Connect with Jules
Credits:
Sound Engineer & Music: @kailesh_reitmans
Videographer & Editor: @nathan_niguidula
Producer: @lisajohnston_ @julessebastian
Welcome to Tea with Jules hosted by Jules Sebastian. Here we spill the tea and learn life lessons from honest conversations with experts, celebrities and friends.
