Paul Calver. Founder Wellbeing Strategist

Helping founders 🚀 their performance by optimising their wellbeing and automating their workflows | Sleep Advocate | Workflow Optimisations & Automations using AI Tools | Sleep, Stress & Nutrition Coach | iOS Engineer

Most professionals over 40/50 are more tired, wired and distracted than they expected to be.

I help them change that.

As a 57‑year‑old trainer, certified health coach and iOS developer, I work on one problem from two angles:

• Coaching: 
Helping 40/50+ professionals improve energy, sleep and strength with simple, evidence‑based habits.

• Product: 
Building humane apps like Sunlock (sunlight before screenlight) and PRSNT (presence on demand) that protect focus instead of stealing it.

Across both, the goal is the same: protect the health, attention and performance of people in the second half of life, using the philosophy of “fundamentals over fads”.

Founder, Coach and Developer

Upgrading the Wellness Operating Systems of individuals and companies 😉
Sleep, Stress Management and Nutrition coaching.

1:1 Wellness Coaching, Group Coaching, Sleep Coaching, Wellness Webinars, Lunch & Learns, Employee Wellness Programme Consulting

Paul Calver

I am a sleep neuroscientist, adjunct professor at IE Business School in Madrid, lecturer at St. Gallen and IMD Business Schools, keynote speaker, and internationally recognized authority on sleep. I have been named by Thrive Global as one of the top 5 sleep experts in the world. I advise corporations around the globe on sleep, performance, and well-being. I support CEOs and decision-makers worldwide to help them get the best out of themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

I began my career in sleep during my Master of Neurosciences degree, studying the effect of sleep on cognitive performance at the Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences and Harvard Medical School. I studied the effect of sleep on the brain and performance as a Fulbright scholar during my Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley before making a switch to a corporate career at McKinsey & Company as a management consultant.

Now, I design science-based corporate sleep programs including sleep assessments and I host workshops and webinars. I have shown a great impact on every corporate client: reducing sleep debt by 53%, decreasing stress by 25%, and improving productivity by 20%. Separately, I also support companies as a boardroom advisor, educating their workforce on sleep and creating science-based sleep content for product and marketing purposes (videos, blogs, and podcasts).

My work on has been featured in HBR, the McKinsey Quarterly, The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, The Atlantic, Forbes, BBC, and many others. I regularly appear in the media: talk shows, news & radio shows. I hosted a Max Masterclass on prime-time tv and online videos for the Huffington Post with millions of viewers.

I am a wife, mother of 2, and passionate about finding ways to improve sleep and performance through small tweaks in our lifestyle, such as exercise, nutrition, light exposure, and relaxation techniques. 

I am based in Lucerne, Switzerland but work with companies across the globe.

Contact for inquiries: info@elsvanderhelm.com

Dr Els van der Helm

Japan’s new prime minister says she sleeps just 2–4 hours a night. And yes, I have some thoughts about that.

In my October newsletter, I wrote about something many still underestimate:

👉 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 “𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞-𝐭𝐨-𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞” 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕-𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

So when PM Sanae Takaichi not only shared she “gets by” on minimal sleep, but also called her team into the office at 3 a.m. to prepare for a 9 a.m. budget hearing, it made me wonder:

Is this what modern leadership should look like?

Sure, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 she just doesn't need much sleep. And yes, genetically short sleepers 𝘥𝘰 exist. But they’re incredibly rare.

And given that even she admitted her body “might be suffering,” it’s far more likely she needs more.

Of course, she might 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 like she’s coping, but it's very unlikely that she’s actually maintaining sharp judgment, emotional stability, decision quality, physical health, or strong relationships.

Decades of research show that tired humans are not always great at noticing their own impairment. People routinely think they’re functioning fine long after objective performance has dropped.

And even so, the impact doesn’t stop with the leader.

A 3 a.m. meeting doesn’t show dedication—it shows a systems problem. The whole team arrives cognitively compromised, guaranteeing a 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 9 a.m. meeting, not a better one.

This is how personal sleep habits can become cultural norms.

Terrible norms.

What we need instead is 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

Leaders who not only know 𝘸𝘩𝘺 and 𝘩𝘰𝘸 to sleep well themselves, but also know 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 on sleep.

Leaders who set rhythms and expectations that support performance, decision quality, and well-being, rather than undermine them.

The Thatcher-era ideal of the sleepless leader isn’t heroic. It’s outdated.

The future belongs to leaders who understand their biology. And lead accordingly.

Do any great examples come to mind for you?

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞:
I have a sleep disorder.

I wasn’t sure whether to share this. 
I mean: a sleep expert with a sleep disorder?! 
The irony isn’t lost on me.

But it felt important to open up about it now, as so many people live with it unknowingly.

It deserves far more attention, as it is often overlooked in doctors’ offices.
Many doctors will come across it: GPs, neurologists, gynecologists, oncologists, hematologists, and even psychiatrists.
All of them could help diagnose and treat it.

It’s common—so common that we should all know about it.
Not just for ourselves, but to recognize it in the people around us.

Any guesses which sleep disorder I’m talking about?

I’ll share the answer (and my own story) in my next newsletter, 
along with what the science says about this surprisingly treatable cause of poor sleep.

Stay tuned…

“𝘈 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳?” 🫨

That was my first thought too. But here it is: 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐬 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 (RLS).

I debated whether to share this. 

But given how many people live with it unknowingly—or get brushed off when they try to seek help—I knew I had to.

RLS is surprisingly common, often misdiagnosed, and very treatable. Yet many doctors still don’t ask the right questions. 

In a poll I ran last week, 26% of you said you suffer from restless sleep. Some of you may be living with RLS without knowing it.

In this week’s newsletter, I’m finally sharing my full story.

I also explain what we know about RLS: the role of iron, dopamine, and even genetics (it runs in my family). 

Plus, I’ve created a 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 you can take to your doctor if you suspect you or someone you love might have it.

👇 Read the newsletter + get access to the cheat sheet here:

Hey there, During my first pregnancy, I spent countless nights exhausted but unable to fall asleep—I just couldn’t keep my legs still. It drove me nut

Open article: Restless Sleep – Could Iron Be the Missing Link? by Dr Els van der Helm • 6 min read

Restless Sleep – Could Iron Be the Missing Link?

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