So I got a tip from somebody who travels internationally a lot from California, and they were saying that before they go to Europe, they try to go to sleep a little bit earlier each night in the run up—just by 15 minute increments. I’ve done that the last couple of times and I think that helps a little bit. I always travel with an eye mask and my silicone ear plugs, so that, you know, when I do go to sleep, it can be dark and quiet, and I try to stay hydrated and not eat on the plane, because the food can have such high sodium content. Once I’m there and I’ve taken a nap, I’ll wake up and take a shower, and then take a really good walk around the city to work up an appetite. And in terms of trying to sleep, things like breathing exercises, meditation, or even a hot bath are really helpful. I love a good hotel bath.
Jet lag walks have their own specific charm. Have you had any memorable ones?
I’ve had a few of them! Once I flew from Thailand back to London, where I had been living, and landed early in the morning in London. We had this amazing family walk around St. James’s Park and over the bridge, and it was just this beautiful, long morning. And then we had breakfast at The Wolseley, which is so fantastic. It was perfect.
What about a memorable sleep? Which hotel room has afforded you a good night’s rest?
Again, London. I stayed at The Arts Club when they first opened their little guest rooms, and the bed was so comfortable, with the softest Italian sheets. They were almost like silk. I’m really affected by the sheets. And that was an instant where I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the most comfortable sleep I’ve had in my life.’
After everything you’ve learned while taping Sleep Training for Grown Ups, what’s a sleep myth you’d like to debunk?
Well, I used to think that you couldn’t catch up on sleep. If you miss it, you miss it and can never get it back, you know? But from talking to a sleep scientist recently I’ve learned that’s actually not true. You can incrementally get it back by adding 15 minutes to your sleep time. Moreover, you can do it on your own. You don’t need an expert to show you. Just make a concerted effort to go to sleep 15 minutes earlier, or half an hour earlier than you normally would, and you can bank that extra sleep.
How has your own sleep journey evolved?
I have always been a very good sleeper. I’ve always been able to sleep long and hard. And I always look forward to it—I really think of sleep as my friend. But these days it’s a little more elusive. There’s a havoc being wreaked over my entire system hormonally, and it is impacting my sleep. Women are such a largely understudied group, even though we make up more than half of the planet, and yet it’s only recently that the topic of perimenopause and menopause are entering the conversation. When our progesterone drops, which happens to women their whole lives, and especially during menopause, we experience difficulty falling asleep. Personally, during this phase, I feel anxiety at night, and I have more fragmented sleep. It can also be really hard to sleep during pregnancy—I really struggled to sleep in that third trimester.
We need to normalize sleep and rest for women. We tend to wear a lot of hats; there’s this idea that we all need to be so hyper productive and busy—to be the perfect co-worker, mom, girlfriend, wife, daughter-in-law, whatever. People often wear a lack of sleep like a badge, saying ‘Oh, I only need five hours at night.’ And actually, we need seven to nine hours of sleep at night. As women, we really need to make sure that we’re not only prioritizing sleep, but prizing it. Choosing to rest is not a weakness.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
