Episode 99: How to Sleep Better and Perform at Your Best with Penelope Barr

Have you ever found yourself lying awake at 3am, desperately wishing you could switch your brain off?

For so many of us, especially in midlife, getting a good night's sleep can feel elusive. Yet quality sleep is one of the most powerful foundations for feeling our best, performing at our best, and living a healthier, happier life.

In this episode of It's a Mindset, I'm joined by portfolio careerist, advisor and author Penelope Barr. Drawing on more than 25 years of executive experience, Penelope has made it her mission to help high performers create more aligned and sustainable ways of working and living.

Her new book, Win the Night to Win the Day: Sleep Well. Work Better. Live Best., explores why our best days are created the night before and shares practical strategies to help you sleep better.

As a menopausal woman, sleep can be elusive for me, so I was fascinated to hear what Penelope had to say on the subject, given she's written an entire book about it. This conversation challenged the idea that sleep is something we simply hope for and instead showed how we can intentionally create the conditions to sleep better, improve our performance and feel more energised each day.

If you've ever struggled to switch off at night, wake feeling exhausted, or wondered how better sleep could improve every area of your life, this episode is for you.

Key Episode Takeaways: 

• We are biological beings, and no matter how hard we try, we can't outsmart our need for quality sleep.
• Winding down for optimal sleep isn't just about willpower - it's about creating intentional systems and habits that support better rest.
• Success isn't about looking good to others; it's about creating a life that genuinely feels good to you.
• Discover Penelope's 6:3:3 lifestyle framework and whether it could help you sleep better, perform at your best, and create more sustainable success.

About the Guest:

Penelope Barr is a Portfolio careerist, Advisor, Author and working parent. Penelope draws on more than 25 years of executive experience to help high performers and organisations design more aligned and sustainable ways of working and living. She’s the creator of the 6:3:3 concept, focused on the connection between rest, performance, and strategic, sustainable success. Penelope’s new, “Win the Night to Win the Day. Sleep Well. Work Better. Live Best.” It's a strategic guide for high performers created by research, interviews with global experts and years of experiments to help you design your personal best days to sleep well. Your best days are made at night.

Show Resources:

Connect with Penelope on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/penelopebarr/

Follow Penelope on Instagram - @ penelope_barr

Follow Emma, the Podcast Host on Instagram - @emmalagerlow

Check Out Emma's Book, Worthy & Wealthy - https://www.amazon.com.au/Worthy-Wealthy-Discovering-Abundance-Fulfilment/dp/1998528022

If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us @emmalagerlow and @ penelope_barr.

Yours in Winning the Night, To Win the Day, Emma. X.