Mollie Eastman I Sleep Is A Skill, New York, NY (2026)

12/29/2025

Ever notice that your mind races the moment your head hits the pillow?

When you breathe out longer than you breathe in, through your nose, you’re signaling safety to your nervous system, and you’re activating the parasympathetic state your body needs for sleep.

Our guest, Adam Ludwin, (/) learned this firsthand after scaling Tify Technologies to 300 employees across 13 markets and exiting for over $100M (!) and realizing success was costing him his health. That wake-up call led him to functional breathwork with Patrick McKeown and to building five point five, an app designed to make breathwork simple, measurable, and accessible.

In this episode, we explore:
– How longer exhales calm racing thoughts
– Breathwork’s impact on HRV and sleep latency
– Simple, nose-breathing shifts you can use tonight
If falling asleep feels harder than it should…

✨ What if your breath is the missing piece?

💬 Comment “BREATH” and I’ll DM you the link to the full episode and the link to download the app.

12/17/2025

Ever notice how your mind keeps running the moment you try to sleep?

Andrew Poles shares why sleep isn’t only about routines or supplements, it’s also about completion. When promises are broken, values feel off, or conversations stay unfinished, the body holds onto that information. And often, it shows up as overthinking at night.

We talk about how integrity, leadership pressure, and unresolved mental loops quietly interfere with deep sleep, especially for high performers - and how to close the day more cleanly.

Andrew Poles is an executive coach and leadership strategist who’s worked with 10,000+ leaders at NASA, Netflix, and Epic Games. He’s also an ultra-endurance athlete helping high performers scale without burning out.

In this episode, we cover:
😴 Why “completion” matters for sleep
😴 Integrity, broken promises, and the nervous system
😴 Burnout, leadership pressure, and rest
😴 How to end the day without mental carryover

If you’ve ever felt tired but wired at bedtime, you need to listen to this one.

💬 Comment “COMPLETION” and I’ll DM you the link to the full episode 🎧

12/08/2025

If you “Can’t Turn Your Brain Off” and struggle to let the day end, your body reads that as danger, and it shows up in your breathing, your nervous system, and your ability to reach deep, restorative sleep.

In this episode, I’m joined by Martin McPhilimey, (), a leading authority in Breath Science, Respiratory & Sleep Science, Exercise Physiology, and Behavioral Science. With 15+ years in research and clinical practice, he’s on a mission to help people understand how breathing, safety, and emotional regulation shape our sleep more than we realize.

What we cover:
• Why anxious brains resist going to sleep,
• How “perceived danger” keeps you stuck in light sleep,
• What your breathing reveals about your stress load,
• and practical, science-backed steps to create safety in the body before bed.
If you’ve ever felt tired but wired, this conversation is going to hit home.

CTA: Comment “BREATH” and I’ll DM you the link to the full episode.

12/04/2025

💡 What if the LIGHT around you is shaping your mood, energy… and even your lifelong sleep struggles?

This week on the Sleep Is A Skill Podcast, I sat down with award-winning science journalist and author Lynne Peeples (.peeples), and this conversation genuinely stopped me in my tracks. She shared a pivotal moment from her research: a pro sports team installed bright, bright lights before games to elevate energy, then shifted to warm, dim lights devoid of blue afterward to help players wind down, and the results were so profound that she wondered whether her own lifelong struggles with sleep were rooted in missing the right light cues.

That question led Lynne deep into the science of how light shapes our circadian rhythms, emotional health, and overall well-being. Her background is extraordinary; before becoming a journalist whose work appears in The Atlantic, Scientific American, The Guardian, and more, she worked as a biostatistician for HIV clinical trials. With master's degrees from Harvard and NYU, plus an MIT Knight Science Journalism fellowship, Lynne brings both scientific precision and compassionate storytelling to this conversation.

🎧 Episode Show Notes: Top 3 Takeaways
• How light impacts your emotional health, performance, and sleep
• Why our modern indoor lifestyle disrupts ancient circadian patterns
• Practical steps to build a healthier, more supportive light environment

👉 Comment “LIGHT” and I’ll DM you the full episode!

12/01/2025

Here’s why your sleep hack failed again. 😭

😴 Half of Americans report “bad sleep”, and the root cause often has nothing to do with stress or schedules… It's the way we train our sleep.

In Part 1 of my conversation with Dr. Dan Pardi, Chief Health Officer at Quality of Life Sciences, (), we uncover why sleep isn’t something you “treat”… it's a skill you build every single day (hence why I believe so strongly in the name of this company!).

We dig into:
The surprising “morning trigger” that resets your entire sleep cycle
The overlooked 30–60 minute window your sleep secretly depends on
How sleep pressure works and why it’s not just “feeling tired”
The role your mitochondria play in sleep quality
Why your nights improve only when your days are aligned
If you’ve wondered why your sleep changes week to week, or why one habit works then suddenly stops this episode reveals the deeper system at play.

👉 Comment “SLEEP” and I’ll DM you the link for the full episode.

11/21/2025

🔥 SLEEP & SAUNA: Why heat can boost mood + nervous system resilience

In today’s episode, our guest joins us from INSIDE his sauna (!) and stands as one of the true pioneers of infrared therapy, Dr. Raleigh Duncan. Yes… he’s literally recording from the sauna :) while breaking down the science behind how heat + cold can transform your sleep and nervous system.

Since November is National Sleep Comfort Month and we are all still adjusting to the time change, this conversation is all about using nightly rituals to support better sleep, overall health, and wellness so you are not tempted to crash at 7:30 pm.

Dr. Duncan, founder of and creator of the patented Carbon/Ceramic and True Wave infrared systems (which boast some of the lowest EMF/ELF levels in the industry), explains what’s really happening when you step into the heat: your heart rate rises, your vessels open, and then your body drops into deep parasympathetic calm. Think dopamine release, muscle relaxation, and that “clear head” feeling we all crave.

We unpack:
• How contrast therapy could potentially support deeper sleep
• Why heat can boost mood + nervous system resilience
• His best strategies for jet lag recovery
• Who should and shouldn’t sauna before bed
• How to pair heat, cold, and breath for better nightly rest

If you’ve ever wondered how to use these tools to sleep better, travel smoother, and feel more regulated, especially during National Sleep Comfort Month, this one’s for you.

❓What’s your current relationship with heat or cold therapy, love it or still curious?

Comment "HEAT" below, and I’ll DM you the full episode plus a Black Friday Clearlight discount code/link.

11/05/2025

Did you know that iron plays a key role in how your brain regulates sleep?

It’s one of MANY hidden factors that can make or break your rest. Low iron can leave you feeling drained, foggy, and wide awake at night…while high iron can quietly damage your brain, disrupting the very neurotransmitters (like GABA & dopamine) that help you feel calm and focused. 🧠💤

Dr. Christy Sutton, () clinician, author, and root-cause detective behind The Iron Curse shares how she helps patients uncover hidden genetic landmines and restore balance through natural, personalized care.

In this episode:
🩸 The iron–sleep connection beyond restless legs (and why both low and high levels can steal your rest)
🧬 How genetics and hormones quietly shape your sleep, focus, and mood
🌙 What to test, what ranges really matter, and when inflammation hides the full story

Comment “IRON” and I’ll send you the link to the full episode.

10/01/2025

If your anxiety spikes and your HRV drops when you overdo coffee (especially late in the day!!), you’re not broken.

It’s just your system reacting to overstimulation, ongoingly (and it could be impacting your sleep, even if you don’t realize it!)!

Too much caffeine, especially later in the day, can raise heart rate, fragment sleep, and lower HRV. As someone who studies sleep for a living, I pay close attention to this research.

A massive umbrella review published in 2025 showed HRV is consistently altered when the nervous system is under strain.

That’s why I swapped my second cup of coffee for MUD\WTR (). The Original blend has about 35 milligrams of caffeine from chai compared to the 90 to 100 you get in coffee. I still feel focused, but my sleep and HRV trends thank me.

Try the swap for three weeks and notice the difference yourself.

Comment ‘HRV’ and I’ll send you the link to their starter kit with a free frother.

08/03/2025

Beware the blue light bedtime rabbit hole 🕳️

Blue light + your phone in bed = the perfect recipe for wrecked melatonin and rough sleep.

A late-night blue light 💡 bath + scrolling might feel harmless, but here’s what’s really happening:

💡Your brain stays in “day mode” under blue light

💡 Melatonin release is delayed or suppressed

💡Deep, restorative sleep doesn’t stand a chance 💤

It’s not just me saying this. 248 circadian scientists reached a global consensus that light bulbs at night, like the kind from plain ole bright light bulbs…disrupts sleep and damages your circadian health.

If you want better sleep and next-day energy, try this:

1. Park your phone and don’t bring it into your bed

2. Switch to incandescents and/or red/warm light in the evening

3. Save your scrolling for daylight hours, your body clock will thank you 🌙

📲Share this with the friend who “just checks one thing” in bed every night and LOVES the big light! 💡

08/02/2025

Poor Sleep and Loneliness Go Hand in Hand

We often think of sleep as something that happens in isolation, but your SOCIAL HEALTH plays a major role in how deeply you rest. 😳

Research shows that loneliness and social disconnection can keep your body in a subtle state of hypervigilance. When your nervous system doesn’t feel fully safe, sleep becomes lighter, more fragmented, and less restorative.

🙋‍♀️I feel this personally. As an only child, I could easily drift into only-child-mode and “happily” spend time on my own. I have to be intentional about prioritizing community and connection, but every time I do, I feel like a completely new person. My HRV agrees! 🫀💤

Humans are wired for connection and safety. When we feel supported, our bodies can finally let go and move into deep, restorative sleep.

Prioritize your people. Your sleep, and your nervous system, will thank you.

If this resonates, like, save, and share with someone who needs a reminder that connection is a sleep tool too.

07/31/2025

😎 Those Sunglasses Are Messing with Your Melatonin

I used to be obsessed with sunglasses. 😎

They were part of my wardrobe, my photos, my personality…I wouldn’t leave the house without them.

Then I learned that wearing sunglasses constantly was quietly sabotaging my circadian rhythm and my sleep. Your eyes need full-spectrum sunlight 🌈 to signal your brain’s master clock. That light tells your body when to release cortisol in the morning and melatonin at night.

If you block that light all day, your body never gets the message. Hormones misfire. Energy dips. Sleep suffers.

And yes… I’m saying stop and stare…in the general direction of the sun. Obviously not directly at it. 🙄 (What are we, low IQ? Kidding.)

Do sunglasses have a place? Of course. Driving, skiing, boating, or whenever safety calls for it.

…But the bigger crime is that most of us are light deficient and spending our lives indoors under dim light, only to block the natural signals our body craves.

Honestly, in most cases it’s not the sun you should be using sunglasses against, it’s the harsh, non-native blue light, like that you’ll find during a 8pm Target or Walmart run. Personally, if I need eye protection these days, I grab my blue blockers instead of shades.

Your melatonin, your energy, and your sleep will thank you. 🌞

📱 Share this with your sunglasses-obsessed friend.

07/29/2025

I study sleep for a living, and one of the most underappreciated (and deceptively obvious) disruptors I see is too much caffeine TOO LATE in the day.

Let me be clear: you can absolutely drink coffee and still sleep well.

There’s a lot of bioindividuality at play. Some people metabolize caffeine quickly, while others process it more slowly, which means it can stay in your system longer and affect your nervous system, cortisol rhythm, and melatonin production later in the evening.

Fun fact: The CYP1A2 gene helps determine whether you're a fast or slow caffeine metabolizer.

For many of my clients, and at times in my own life, one of the smartest moves has been layering in better alternatives. That means having your morning coffee and something like Mud\Wtr mid-morning or in the afternoon to extend focus, without risking jitters, a crash, or poor sleep.

Mud\Wtr is one of my go-to tools for this. Their blend of mushrooms and adaptogens supports focus, energy, and immunity. No sugar, a fraction of the caffeine, and it tastes like chai and cacao. I especially love it with their coconut milk powder—super creamy, super clean, and deeply satisfying.

Comment 'RITUALS' for 15 percent off their Starter Kit, a free frother, and 45 days of access to their meditation app. I’ll DM you the link.

Sleep-smart swaps like this are a powerful way to support your rhythm while still getting things done...and sleeping great while doing it!

Mollie Eastman I Sleep Is A Skill

12/29/2025

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