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Sleep Intelligence

The High-Performance Blueprint for Sharper Thinking

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Sleep Intelligence

By: Els van der Helm Ph.D.
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Sleep isn’t passive rest, but a critical driver of performance.

In high-pressure environments, sleep is often the first thing to go. Long hours are treated as commitment. Pushing through is expected. But the cost builds, often in ways we don’t immediately see, leading to distraction, poor decisions, emotional reactivity and missed signals.

In this groundbreaking guide, sleep neuroscientist and executive advisor Els van der Helm, PhD, shows that sleep is not just a habit to optimise. It’s a system to understand.

Blending cutting-edge research with real-world stories and interviews - from global executives to frontline professionals - Dr van der Helm reframes sleep as a hidden driver of performance, resilience and leadership. Her practical, science-backed six-principle framework reveals how we can:

  • Identify our chronotype and align our schedule with peak performance windows
  • Use chronotherapy to align work, energy, and recovery across the day
  • Understand how REM sleep supports emotional control, creativity, and decision-making - and how to protect it
  • Use strategic napping to recover faster and sustain high performance
  • Navigate periods of poor sleep, reducing the impact of bad nights and building long-term resilience
  • Become a 'sleep leader,' rethinking how work and life are structured to make sustained performance possible, at work and at home

Perfect for leaders, ambitious professionals and anyone operating in high-demand environments, Sleep Intelligence offers a new way of thinking about sleep - and how we work, recover and live as a result.

© Els van der Helm 2027 (P) Penguin Audio 2027

 Biological Sciences Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success Physical Illness & Disease Science Sleep Disorders
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Critic reviews

For years the hardest part of the sleep conversation in the workplace was getting anyone to take it seriously. That argument is finally over, and Els van der Helm has written what comes next: closing the gap between the science and what people should actually do on Monday morning. Sleep Intelligence is rigorous, insightful and immediately useful.
I stayed up late reading Sleep Intelligence — a practical, enlightening manual for better sleep that (unlike so many health books) goes down easily and doesn't try to scare us. Van der Helm explains clearly why sleep is so essential to our performance and emotional health, and how to overcome our roadblocks to sleeping better. This book is a real gift to insomniacs and light-sleepers like me.
Els van der Helm reveals sleep as the hidden lever of high performance - offering not just compelling science but actionable strategies to turn sleep into your competitive edge. This book will help you rethink your relationship with rest, empowering you to perform, lead, and live better.
A sleep-deprived team is not productive. A sleep deprived leader often acts like a jerk. Packed with practical tips, Sleep Intelligence will show you how you can show up as your best self and exhibit sleep leadership so that everyone on your team can do their best work.
I have literally never had a big idea or breakthrough when tired… Sleep is not just for the tired. Sleep has magical powers. It drives performance more than anyone knew. Els van der Helm rests her case.
Els [van der Helm] has written a very powerful primer on the importance of sleep for all of us (particularly those of us who may not think it’s important for them). She offers evidence-based ideas for getting more and better sleep and challenges us to be sleep leaders in our own organizations. Should be required reading for the modern manager.
Strategy demands creativity. Leading people demands empathy. Decisions demand judgment. Els van der Helm shows that all of it runs on sleep. This book belongs in the hands of every executive.
Sleep may be the most underestimated tool we have for thinking clearly, performing well, and living better. In Sleep Intelligence, Dr. Els van der Helm translates fascinating sleep science into a practical, realistic blueprint for improving how we work, lead, recover and live. This is not another book telling you simply to sleep more. It will change the way you understand sleep altogether.
My advice to any leader who wants to perform at a high level and have a fruitful long-term career: invest now in Dr Els van der Helm’s excellent new book Sleep Intelligence. It is deeply researched, and full of practical advice, wisdom, and empathy. Understanding how sleep can work for you and your teams is a critical life-long skill that every leader should possess.
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