Petra Hawker PhD

I qualified as a counsellor and hypnotherapist 27 years ago, opening my first practice while continuing to study for my PhD. Over that time I qualified in a wide range of areas including Hypnotherapy, Counselling, Psychoanalysis, Stress Management and Cognitive Behavioural Sleep Therapy. I have worked globally with clients experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, abuse, anger, relationships and sleep disorders.

I became a sleep specialist almost by accident. Over the years clients began to tell me that not only were they feeling better about their problems that had brought them to me but their sleep had improved dramatically. This fascinated me. I began to delve more into the world of sleep.

Then a few years ago, I joined the team at The London Sleep Centre as a sleep psychotherapist working with severely sleep deprived patients, resulting from trauma, stress, depression, anxiety and life-style issues. It has been a challenging but hugely rewarding experience and I wanted to bring some of what I have learned to you in this book.

In my clinical work, I see people who suffer the most debilitating sleep conditions: many are convinced they will never sleep properly again. I work with these patients to re-programme their habits, building new behaviour patterns – and crucially, a positive mindset that their problem can and will be resolved.

I was very fortunate to be approached DK Publishing. It was immediately clear to me that they felt equally as passionate about the subject of sleep as I do. Together we set about creating a book that would demystify and clarify the subject of sleep as a vital part of living a healthy life. Sleep research is constantly evolving, and we now know how vital sleep is in supporting both physical and mental health. It has been estimated that at any time up to half of UK adults are experiencing some sort of sleep issue. Unfortunately, today’s culture of 24-hour digital connectivity isn’t very conducive to sleep!

But there are plenty of ways in which we can help ourselves to rest better. Some life-style changes are small and easy to make, others can take time and patience to bed in. My hope is that this book will help you to understand better what sleep is, and to offer positive, proven strategies to help if you are having problems.

‘Sleep’ has been a pleasure and a privilege to write. I hope it will be a helpful resource whether you are struggling to sleep well, or simply wish to ensure you get the most from your daily rest.

In the meantime, I continue working in practice at The London Sleep Centre, Harley Street and continue my research and development for improved sleep and self-care with the aid of good counselling and improved relaxation techniques in the digital age.