Heather Darwall-Smith
Heather Darwall-Smith is one of the UK’s top sleep specialists. A psychotherapist, public speaker and author, she holds a master’s degree in Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy and has further training in sleep medicine, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She is the author of 3 books.
Website: heatherdarwallsmith.com
Instagram: @psychotherapist_sleep
Biography
Heather Darwall-Smith is a UKCP-accredited psychotherapist and sleep specialist who works internationally at the intersection of psychology and sleep science. She offers a distinctive perspective in a field often dominated by medical and behavioural approaches: her work is rooted in psychotherapy, exploring the deep emotional, psychological and relational experiences that underpin longstanding sleep difficulties. Many of her clients live with trauma, anxiety or neurodiversity, where sleep problems are rarely simple and often resistant to quick-fix solutions.
She is the author of The Science of Sleep (DK, 2021) and How to Be Awake So You Can Sleep Through the Night (HarperCollins, 2025). Her work has been widely featured in the media, including The Times, The i Paper, Stylist, Psychologies, Saga Magazine and on ITV’s Lorraine.
Heather holds a master’s degree in mindfulness-based psychotherapy and advanced training in sleep medicine, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. She previously worked as a sleep psychotherapist at the London Sleep Centre, gaining extensive clinical experience with insomnia and complex sleep disorders. She now runs a successful private practice in the UK and internationally, delivers corporate programmes on sleep and stress reduction and is in demand as a corporate speaker.
As one of very few psychotherapists globally specialising in sleep and neurodiversity, Heather brings a different approach – working at depth with the roots of sleep disturbance rather than only addressing symptoms. She is also actively involved in professional training and networks that connect psychotherapy with sleep medicine..
Her books have been translated into many languages and she has a major new book coming out in 2026.
Books
Heather’s first book, THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP, was published by DK in 2021.
Her second book HOW TO BE AWAKE (SO YOU CAN SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT) was published by HarperCollins in 2025.
‘Rewrites everything we know about sleep. A must read.’ - Eleanor Mills, Journalist
‘A brilliant and accessible book which brings scientific rigor to the variety of sleep problems I frequently see in the therapy room. With its clear explanations and practical steps, this is my go-to recommendation for every one I see who struggles with sleep.’- Dr Claire Plumbly, Clinical Psychologist
‘Insightful, immensely practical and refreshingly counter-intuitive.’ Psychologies Magazine
