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Michelle Smith, Sleep & Insomnia Specialist

@sleepresetwithmichelle

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Life-changing sleep & nervous system support for women 40+
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What if you didn’t have to stop your thoughts to become calm enough to sleep?

When your head is full of mental chatter, it’s understandable to want to make it stop.

Stop thinking.

Clear your mind.

Go to sleep.

But now sleep has become another job.

Another thing to work at.

Another thing to get right.

And the last thing I want to do is give you another list of what to do.

I’m not going to give you 100 sleep hygiene tips to implement.

I’m not going to start by telling you what you must and mustn’t do.

And no, I’m not automatically going to tell you that your phone HAS to live outside the bedroom.

Because before changing a behaviour, I want to understand you.

What’s happening with your sleep?

What’s happening around it?

And what might that behaviour actually be doing for you?

One of my clients, who had struggled with sleep for years, described what we did together as:

“…a really working-with-me approach...”

She particularly valued that “nothing was forbidden” and went on to describe experiencing a “real” and “quite profound” shift.

That’s much closer to how I want sleep support to feel.

Collaborative rather than controlling.

Curious rather than prescriptive.

And focused on finding changes that actually make sense for you.

Want to know more about what working with me could do for you?

Comment or DM me the word SLEEP and I’ll share a gentle next step with you.

#Sleepanxiety #TiredButWired #SleepSupport #MenopauseSleep #WomenInMidlife by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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2 months ago

Sometimes poor sleep looks remarkably like coping.

How? Because you…

Still turn up.

You still answer all the emails.

You still get through the meetings.

You still remember what everybody else needs.

You still do what needs doing.

From the outside, you probably look absolutely fine.

👓 But perhaps you’re rereading things because your brain feels slower.

🥵 Using far more effort to do things that used to feel straightforward.

🫙Getting to the end of the working day with very little left for yourself.

❌ Saying no to something you might actually have enjoyed because you’re simply too tired.

And because you’re still functioning, it’s easy to tell yourself:

“I’m coping.”

Maybe you are.

But coping and having capacity to live life to the full aren’t the same thing.

And perhaps the question isn’t only “How will I get through the day?”

Perhaps it’s:

“What’s it costing me to *keep* getting through it?”

Imagine having something left after all the things you have to do…

For yourself.

For the people you love.

For the bits of life you actually want to enjoy.

That matters too.

Does this version of “coping” feel familiar to you?

Save this if coping has started to feel like running on empty.

#tiredbutwired #midlifesleep #sleepsupport #menopausesleep #sleepanxiety by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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2 months ago

You’d encourage someone else to get help. So why are you still trying to manage alone?

It’s an interesting question, isn’t it?

If someone you cared about told you they were struggling with sleep, night after night, you’d probably encourage them to find some support.

But when it’s your own sleep?

Perhaps you tell yourself you’ll sort it out eventually.

That it’s just a phase.

That you’ve managed worse.

That you don’t have time to deal with it right now.

Or perhaps there’s something more uncomfortable underneath…

“If I’m usually the person who sorts everything out, what does it mean if I can’t sort this out myself?”

For someone who’s spent years being capable, independent and dependable, asking for help might feel surprisingly difficult.

But struggling with sleep isn’t a measure of your competence.

And seeking support doesn’t take away the strengths that have served you so well.

You can be capable AND need support.

If you’ve reached the point where you’d welcome some personalised insight into what’s happening with your sleep, every month I open up a handful of free Sleep Reset Clarity Call slots. The Clarity Call is a chance to explore your sleep, your circumstances and get some practical next steps.

DM me SLEEP if you’d like the details.

#MenopauseSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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2 days ago

This is a free event https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cnt-london-wellbeing-partnership-event-networking-bromley-tickets-1995686370657?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=&utm-share-source=mobile-search-results https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cnt-london-wellbeing-partnership-event-networking-bromley-tickets-1995686370657?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=&utm-share-source=mobile-search-results taken in Community House Bromley by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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5 days ago

Your phone might not be the real problem.

And it might not be what you ate at dinner time.

Or the lack of a “special” routine.

And I’m not going to assume that any of these things are.

I’m also not going to start by telling you “no screens”, or what you “must” eat, or by giving you another perfect evening routine to follow.

Because before I start suggesting what may actually help *you*, I want to understand what’s actually happening.

If you’re reaching for your phone in the middle of the night, what is it doing for you?

Is it comfort?
Distraction?
Something to occupy a busy mind?
A way of escaping the frustration of lying there trying to sleep?
Or are you searching for the answer to why you’re awake... again?

Same for what happens during your day, and the routines that you may or may not follow at night.

These things tell me far more than simply knowing there’s a phone beside your bed.

I’m much more interested in understanding you and your life before we know what will best help fix the problem.

Because good sleep support shouldn’t begin with a list of everything you’re doing wrong.

It should begin with understanding you.

#MidlifeSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #MenopauseSleep #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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15 days ago

Sleeptember is nearly over. Menopause and sleep aren’t.

Throughout September I’ve been supporting The Sleep Charity’s Sleeptember campaign, which this year has focused on menopause and sleep.

And although the campaign comes to an end tomorrow, the conversations it highlights don’t.

Changes to sleep can be one of the most frustrating parts of midlife. And for some women, it’s not simply what happens during the night.

🧠 It’s the brain fog.
💣 The shorter fuse.
😫 The effort it takes to keep functioning.
🤯 The feeling that everything is just that little bit harder when you’re tired.

So while I’ll be taking down my Sleeptember website page tomorrow, sleep in midlife will very much remain part of the conversation here.

Because better sleep isn’t only about the night.

It’s about what it gives you back during the day.

You can still access The Sleep Charity resources on the Sleeptember page on my website. Link in my bio.

#Menopausesleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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18 days ago

Overwhelmed by sleep tips? Try this.

🔔Stop looking for another one!🔔

Just for a now.

Because when you’ve read the articles, listened to the podcasts, searched Google, asked AI and saved another five Instagram posts, the problem might not be that you haven’t found enough information.

You might have *too much* of it.

And now you’re trying to work out which bit actually applies to you 🤯

So instead of adding another five things to your sleep to-do list, how about starting with one simple thing?

Something you don’t have to learn.

Something you don’t have to analyse.

Something that you don’t need to do perfectly.

Just 10 minutes where you can press play and give your busy mind something quieter and steadier to follow.

That’s exactly why I created The Tired But Wired Reset.

It’s a 10-minute calming audio for those tired-but-wired moments when you want to step away from all the searching, thinking and trying.

The Tired But Wired Reset is free. You’ll find it through the link in my bio.

#MidlifeSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #MenopauseSleep by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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a month ago

If you can’t sleep, you probably don’t need to know MORE about sleep.

That’s an odd thing for a sleep practitioner to say, isn’t it? 😂

But….I keep speaking to women who already know an enormous amount.

👓 They’ve read the articles.
🎧 Listened to the podcasts.
👩‍🏫 Tried the sleep tips.
📔 Changed their routines.
🛍️ Bought the things.
🔎 Googled the 3am question.

And sometimes all that knowledge creates another question:

“Why can’t I do it?” 😭

Those were the actual words one woman used when she spoke to me about her sleep.

And I think this is important.

Because there can come a point where another piece of information isn’t what you need.

Sometimes you need something simple enough to actually use when you’re in the middle of it.

That’s why I created The Tired But Wired Reset.

It’s a free 10-minute calming audio for those moments when you’re tired, but your head still feels far too busy for rest.

Nothing for you to learn.

Nothing for you to get right.

You just press play and give your attention something quieter and steadier to follow, so that sleep has a chance to gently return.

If that sounds useful for you, The Tired But Wired Reset is free. You’ll find it through the link in my bio.

#MidlifeSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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a month ago

How many decisions did tiredness make for you today?

I keep thinking about something a woman said to me recently.

She wanted “more choices.”

More specifically, she wanted to make those choices for herself, rather than her “tired head” making them for her.

Because here’s the interesting thing…

When you’re exhausted, it doesn’t necessarily feel as though tiredness is making your decisions.

It can sound much more like…

“I can’t really be bothered.”

“I’ll do it another day.”

“I don’t fancy going now.”

“It’s probably easier if I just stay home.”

And sometimes, of course, resting really IS the choice you need to make. But her words made me wonder about something else.

How often do we stop asking ourselves what we actually WANT because we’ve already filtered the options through how much energy we have because we’ve not slept?

That feels different to simply “being tired”.

And it’s one of the reasons her phrase “tired head” has stayed with me.

Because she wasn’t only asking for more energy.

She wanted more agency.

The ability to decide what she wanted to do with her life, rather than automatically deciding what she could manage.

That’s a consequence of poor sleep I think we talk about far too little.

If this has struck a chord with you, comment or DM me the word SLEEP & I share what I told her.

#MidlifeSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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a month ago

One bad night doesn’t make you a bad sleeper.

But after several difficult nights, it’s easy to find yourself following the same familiar route.

Checking the clock.

Calculating how little sleep is left.

Trying harder to make sleep happen.

Worrying about how you will cope tomorrow.

Going to bed already wondering whether tonight will be another bad one.

Over time, your brain can begin expecting another difficult night.

And that expectation can keep you alert: watching, checking, calculating and bracing before sleep has even had a chance.

Bed can begin to feel less like a place of rest and more like somewhere you need to perform, succeed or somehow make sleep happen.

That does not mean you are simply “a bad sleeper.”

It may mean your brain has learned a familiar pattern.

A learned sleep pattern is not your identity.

And learned patterns can change.

Follow for practical sleep and nervous-system support for women in midlife.

#MidlifeSleep #InsomniaSupport #TiredButWired #SleepAnxiety #WomenInMidlife by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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3 months ago

In and around Greenwich & Bexley next Tuesday? Come and join me for this free event. I’ll be speaking about Sleep & Menopause, and there’s so much more happening ⬇️

Let's Talk Women's Health

Join us for a free event celebrating women’s health, wellbeing and connection. 🌸

Come along to hear from healthcare experts, discover local support and learn more about the health topics that matter to women at every stage of life.

💗 11:00–11:30 — Sexual Health & Contraception
🧠 11:45–12:15 — Women’s Mental Health
🌸 1:00–1:30 — Menopause
🩸 1:45–2:15 — Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
😴 3:05-3:25 — Tired But Wired: Understanding Sleep in Menopause

Plus, enjoy guided meditation, chair-based movement, massage, wellbeing activities and a marketplace of local services.

✨ Come along, learn something new, connect with your community and take some time for yourself.

📅 15 September 2026 | 🕥 10:30am–3:30pm

📍 Lesnes Abbey Lodge

Free to attend. by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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a month ago

A client told me recently that when she wakes in the middle of the night, one of the places she goes to for answers is AI.

And I completely understand why.

➡️ It’s 3am.
➡️ You’re awake again.
➡️ You want to know WHY.

So you ask…

❓Is it menopause?
❓Cortisol?
❓Stress?
❓Something I ate?
❓Something I’m doing wrong?
❓Why do I keep waking at the same time?
❓What should I do to get back to sleep?

And AI can give you answers.

LOTS of them.

Some may even be genuinely useful.

But the problem is…

❌ More information isn’t what you need at 3am.

AI doesn’t know what happened in your day.

It doesn’t hear the way you talk about bedtime.

It doesn’t notice the thing you say in passing and then come back to ten minutes later (you might not even notice it, but I will 😉).

It doesn’t know which piece of sleep advice you’ve already tried desperately hard to follow.

It doesn’t see what happens to the rest of your life after a difficult night.

And it can’t sit opposite you and say:

“Tell me more about that.”

Sometimes the useful question isn’t:

“What’s the definitive answer to my sleep problem?”

It’s:

“What’s happening with MY sleep?”

That’s a very different conversation.

And it’s one of the reasons why my work starts with understanding YOU, rather than me handing over another list of things to try.

AI can be an incredibly useful source of information.

But information and understanding aren’t the same thing.

If you’re tired of trying to piece together the answer to your sleep from everything you’ve read, watched, Googled and asked AI, DM me SLEEP.

Let’s have a human conversation about what’s actually happening for you 🤗

#MenopauseSleep #SleepAnxiety #TiredButWired #WomenInMidlife #SleepSupport by @sleepresetwithmichelle

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a month ago