99: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 9999: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 99
UK Health Radio Podcast
Host Andrew Kolsky talks with scientist and Moonbird co-founder Stefanie Broes about how structured breath work may calm the nervous system and support better sleep. They discuss the science behind slow breathing, how the Moonbird device guides users, and real-life stories from adults and children using it for stress, anxiety and insomnia.
43:46•11 Aug 2026
Breath, Tech and Better Sleep: Moonbird’s Calm-Boosting Gadget with Stefanie Broes
Episode Overview
- Intentional breath work can influence the autonomic nervous system and help shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest.
- Slowing breathing to around six breaths per minute often supports maximum relaxation and improves heart rate variability.
- Slow breathing is not the same as deep breathing; finding a balanced depth helps keep oxygen and carbon dioxide levels optimal.
- A tactile tool like Moonbird can make breath work easier to stick with than counting or using screens, especially at night.
- Both adults and children may benefit from simple, guided breathing routines as part of a pre-sleep wind-down to ease stress and racing thoughts.
““Breath work is like the remote control of the nervous system and allows us to shift between different emotional, mental, mood states.””
What drives someone to seek a calmer mind at bedtime instead of reaching for a quick fix? This episode of Sleep Science Today zooms in on that question through the lens of breath work and clever tech. Host Andrew Kolsky talks with Antwerp-based scientist and health-tech founder Stefanie Broes, co-founder of Moonbird, a handheld “breathing coach” designed to make structured breathing as simple as holding a small, soft device in your palm.
With a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences and a long-standing interest in non-drug approaches, Stefanie shares how severe insomnia during her PhD pushed her to move from meditation into breath work, and why that shift finally clicked for her. She breaks down breath work in plain language: intentional changes to breathing rate and pattern that influence the autonomic nervous system.
As she puts it, “breath work is like the remote control of the nervous system,” helping you move from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. You’ll hear why roughly six breaths per minute is a sweet spot for deep relaxation, why slow breathing doesn’t automatically mean “deep” breathing, and what actually happens with oxygen and carbon dioxide when you breathe too shallowly or too quickly.
The conversation then turns to Moonbird itself: an avocado-shaped device that expands and contracts in your hand so you can simply copy the rhythm instead of counting seconds or staring at a screen in the middle of the night. Stefanie shares early research showing better subjective sleep quality and longer sleep times, plus heartfelt user stories—from parents whose evenings are calmer with the kids’ version, to someone grieving a partner who used the device as an emotional lifeline.
If stress, anxiety or a racing mind are wrecking your sleep, could training your breath with a simple tool be the missing piece you’ve not tried yet?
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