Good In Bed – A Guide to Better Sleep

0:02When you are pioneering anything or introducing new ideas to the culture, you get criticized. You do? Yeah. Did you hear about that? I didn't find the one. I found someone I respected and we made it the one. In a sort of longing kind of view of love, people understand each other as if by magic. Nothing in itself is addictive on the one hand. On the other hand, everything could be addictive if there's an emptiness in that person that needs to be filled. I now know that nobody changes until they change their energy. And when you change your energy, you change your life. I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the Goop Podcast, bringing together thought leaders, culture changers, creatives, founders, and CEOs, scientists, doctors, healers, and seekers, here to start conversations, because simply asking questions and listening has the power to change the way we see the world.

0:58Here we go. Welcome to the Goop Podcast. I'm Gwyneth Paltrow, and today we're diving into one of the core pillars of wellness. Something I have long believed is foundational to how we show up in the world. Sleep. Sleep has always been a non-negotiable for me, but like so many women navigating perimenopause, I've noticed my sleep shifting. And with summer travel on the horizon, I've been thinking even more about the rituals that truly support rest. So I'm so grateful to partner with another sleep obsessed brand, Westin Hotels, and the brilliant Dr. Sherry Ma, who's a leading sleep physician and researcher to explore how we can all sleep a little bit better.

1:44So in this three part series, we're talking about everything from how to create a supportive bedtime routine to how movement and diet and environment affect our ability to rest and why your first night in a new place often feels a bit off. I've always believed that when you sleep well, you live well. So I hope this conversation offers a few tools and a little inspiration for a more nourishing approach to rest.

2:13It's nice to be here. Excited to talk with you about sleep. I am a sleep physician and I'm also a research scientist. I have a specialization in optimizing sleep and maximizing performance with elite athletes and sports organizations. Dr. Ma, it's so nice to be sitting here with you talking about sleep, which is one of my favorite subjects. There's this cultural belief that it is a badge of honor to not need sufficient sleep to be at your best. But what I want to share with you today is that is not true. And really, it's those that are leveraging the power of optimal sleep that are able to live the happiest, longest life and to be their best.

2:52I think the tides are turning and I think there are more individuals that respect sleep and really recognize how powerful and transformative sleep can be. What's fascinating with at least my work is showing how you can actually optimize sleep and performance outcomes. What are some things that I can do to optimize that or to get back to how I used to sleep or should I just forget it? No, there's things that you can do for sure. So when you travel, obviously your sleep can sometimes be impacted. And especially if you cross time zones, you'll get a very jet lag. You can feel more sluggish, more tired, and just feel off.

3:29So I'm curious, what is in your carry-on bag? Well, I've been traveling for many, many years. I feel like I've got it down to a pretty fine art. So key items for me are sleep mask, earplugs. I'm very sensitive to sound. I always take lipospheric vitamin C's and I travel with a book. I pack everything in a travel sleep kit. So it's easy to grab for any sleep tool that I need. You want any sleep environment to be dark, quiet, cool, comfortable, and consistent. Eye mask, noise canceling headphones, earplugs, light blocking stickers. You can quickly peel them off and put them onto any device. Your kit is way more sophisticated and comprehensive than mine.

4:14Erasing mind, I think, is incredibly common. And so having strategies to manage that, I think, is essential. One tool that I always keep in here is a sleep journal. So I developed one that has a daily practice for you to journal and to write a to-do list. So what is the ideal room temperature for sleep? 60 to 67 degrees has been studied. 60, that's cold. It's really cold. But cooler is better for consolidated sleep. Another strategy that is really essential is to have a regular wind-down routine before bed. Right. And I think you're quite good with this. I have my whole routine. But that's so critical.

4:50Your brain and your body learns to anticipate these triggers so that you're actually going to set yourself up for better sleep at night. I'm very interested in the sleep journaling to-do list because sometimes I do have a bit of a racing mind. So ideally your wind-down routine is outside of bed. So your brain doesn't start to associate being in bed with a to-do list or thinking about work. Your bed should be sleep and sex and that's it. Right. So what do all of these items have in common? These are all great sleep tools to help optimize your sleep environment, whether you're at home or on the road.

5:23Have you heard about the first night effect? I have not. The first night effect is when you're in a new environment for the first night, people often don't sleep as well. And some of the studies have shown that part of your brain stays more awake than if you're in your home environment. It's thought to be partly as a protective mechanism to monitor your surroundings. So interesting. When I'm traveling and staying in a hotel, I always want to make sure that they're paying extra special attention to the comfort of the bed and the sheets and the pillows. Yes. Your sleep surface can definitely make a difference.

5:57And if you're someone who does travel frequently, it is a smart strategy to stay at a place where you can have a reliable and familiar environment. Yeah. And it makes such a big difference when you crawl into your bed, especially if you're on the road and it's sensorially a great experience and you feel really comfortable. I think it mentally sets you up to know you're going to have a great night's sleep. Exactly. So is this wind down ritual, is that the biggest factor in getting a good night's sleep? Your wind down routine is one of the important factors for quality sleep, but it also matters what you do in the day and making sleep smart choices from the minute you wake up in the morning time.

6:39And nutrition can also play a role in your sleep.

6:45One of the areas that gets overlooked when we talk about sleep is food, both what we eat and when we eat it. Dr. Ma shares how our nutrition choices throughout the day can either support or disrupt our natural rhythms and why it's so much more than just avoiding a late night snack.

7:05I find on the road what's really hard is food consistency. It's hard to find good quality healthy food. It can be challenging to have not only the food that you want to have during meals, but also the timing, which can really affect your body clock and ultimately your sleep. Consistency is key. Our bodies really like regularity. And so not just consistent bedtime and wake up time, but when you eat, when you have your breakfast, your lunch, your dinner, those also can be strategically planned to help maintain a healthy and a normal circadian rhythm. Important to stay somewhere that cares about good healthy foods.

7:43Here at Westin, they've actually developed a menu around sleep called the Eat Well Menu. Yeah. And it's nice that they're mindful about the options that will be more conducive to sleep. Absolutely. And then wellbeing overall. Exactly. To get the best sleep possible. It's not just about that hour right before bed. It also matters what you do during the day and making sleep smart choices. So I have a challenge for you today. Okay. We have four items here from the eat well menu where I want you to place those items in front of each of these clocks on when you think it would be ideal to have during your day.

8:16Okay. Early morning coffee. That's when I would have it. I eat breakfast later in the morning, usually around 11. I eat dinner early at like 6 PM. Um, this feels like a trick question. I'm leaving the wine up there. I would never eat or drink anything late at night. I can't do it. Great. Many of us start our day with coffee and it can give you a temporary boost and alertness. As our day progresses, we build up what's called adenosine and that causes us to feel sleepy. What caffeine does, it actually blocks that receptor and that's where you get that boost and alertness. Have you ever experienced a caffeine crash?

8:55Yeah. That's what's happening where that adenosine continues to build and then the caffeine wears off and now you have that big caffeine crash. Have you heard of the nappuccino? No. If you need a temporary boost and alertness, what you can do is consume your favorite caffeinated beverage, take a short 20 to 30 minute power nap, but caffeine will start to kick in in about 15 minutes. So yes, you have to fall asleep within about 10 minutes or so, but then when you wake up and bam, both the caffeine will have kicked in and the power nap will have kicked in. The last thing I would ever think to do is have a cup of coffee and then go take a nap.

9:27I know it sounds counterintuitive, but there really is research to show that this is a powerful and effective strategy. Pressure's on if I could fall asleep that fast. Okay, the parfait. It can be a great breakfast option. It has carbohydrates and protein in it, and those divide some of the building blocks for serotonin and melatonin that can be important for sleep. So that could be one that you would choose later in the evening if you're hungry. The turkey wrap, yes, it can be an option for dinner. It also could be another option a little bit closer to bed. Well, I know that turkey has tryptophan in it.

10:02That's why people get so tired after Thanksgiving dinner. So the amount of tryptophan that you would need to actually feel sleepy, however, would be eight pounds of turkey to really feel sleepy. Anecdotally, I get pretty tired after I eat a Thanksgiving dinner. So are there certain rules to live by in terms of best times to eat and how it impacts sleep. You generally want to be very consistent with your meal times. That's going to at least set yourself up for success in terms of having the regularity for your body clock. Healthy sleep is so foundational for us to be our best. And each and every one of us can implement these strategies day to day to get the benefits as well.

10:45Movement is another powerful lever when it comes to sleep. Dr. Ma shares how the timing and intensity of your workouts can deeply affect your ability to wind down and what the science really says about something called sleep debt.

11:02Is exercise a critical component to getting good sleep? We know that exercise is really critical for quality rest. And so if it's not something you're doing on a regular basis, it's a very easy way to try and improve the quality of your sleep at nighttime. Fitness for me is really important, not only for my physical health and my sleep, but really for my mental health. I find that I really do love to exercise in the mornings, about five mornings a week. And I find that, you know, as far as like overall well-being, that's really critical for me. Dr. Ma, I would like to know what kind of sleeper you are.

11:37So I've developed this little game we're going to play of rapid fire questions. Ready. Night owl or early bird? Night owl. Early bird. Morning or evening workout? Morning workout for sure. Morning for sure. Exercise when jet lagged? Definitely. Light exercise in the first day. Does lavender actually make you sleepy? I think so. If you use it regularly, it can be helpful. Coffee or tea? Coffee. White noise or complete silence? White noise. Complete silence. Sleep in or start the day? Sleep in if it happened. Sleep in with consistency in your schedule. Cuddle or have the bed to yourself? Depends on the day.

12:12Depends if you can control your bed temperature. An hour of exercise or an hour of extra sleep? Definitely sleep. Uh, yeah, I'll go with sleep. Weston has these gear lending kits that are so fantastic. They're full of workout equipment or recovery equipment. We have some yoga blocks in mine. Oh, I've got a recovery kit. So I've got like a muscle massage gun. That can be handy when you're sore. I think I have some recovery bands. I think these are exercise bands, you know, you can do like... Yes, for resistance training. Thank you. That's what I was trying to say. This has leg compression. This is a massage ball, so you can use for your hands, your feet, your forearm.

12:59Oh boy. Oh boy. Let's see. I think I have some weights, weighted bands. Those are great. You put those around your wrist or your ankles, and it's just a nice, lightweight. I like to wear those when I walk, and I do my Tracy Anderson arms walking down the street. Everyone thinks I'm insane. I love the care that Weston puts into making a wellness focused environment for their guests. I got the good bag. You got the workout bag. What's really great that Weston has these gear lending kits so that when you're on the road, you can be able to get your workouts in at any time of the day. You can order them to your room anytime to really help you with your wellness and recovery.

13:40The gym at the Weston is open 24 hours a day. It is. Which I think is great because it's nice you have that flexibility. True. Good for resetting the body clock. Exactly. So what are the things that people should know about fitness as it pertains to sleep? First is that regular exercise is really helpful for quality rest. So you want to get your workouts in regularly of moderate to high intensity exercise. And how far away from bedtime? This can depend a bit on if you know that sleep is impacted by your workout. Some people sleep well after an evening workout and others get much more energized.

14:13My research has really focused on how do you extend sleep opportunities to pay back accumulated sleep debt. I thought that was a myth. I've always heard that if you miss the sleep that night, then you're never getting it back. Can I venture to - Please, you're the one with 10 PhDs. So your body needs a certain amount of sleep every single night. The misperception is that you should be able to pay back sleep debt in one night or one weekend. My research has really focused on paying that back over a longer period of time, multiple weeks. But that's where we really see the benefit. And what is the recommendation for how many hours of sleep?

14:49For adults, it's recommended seven hours is the minimum. Sometimes you're going to fall short, but there are things that you can do to make back that sleep debt or, as we talked about, some of the quality factors. So even if you fall short on duration, you still are trying to optimize the quality that you will get at night. This is super interesting and you busted a myth for me that you can't catch up on miss sleep. So what are the three takeaways?

15:17I've always taken sleep seriously. It's one of the most powerful foundations for wellbeing, but this conversation made me reflect even more deeply on just how essential it truly is. teaming up with dr sherry ma and weston hotels to create the sleep training for grown-up series was a beautiful reminder that rest is not just restorative it's regenerative it's how we detox repair and reconnect to ourselves if you'd like to explore more you can watch the full episodes on the goop youtube channel or visit our sleep training hub at goop.com sleep training where we've gathered tools and insights to help support deeper rest.

15:59We've also curated a new sleep shop on goop.com filled with some of our favorite products to help create a truly restful environment, including Weston's next generation heavenly bed, which take my word for it lives up to its name. Thanks for listening to the goop podcast and wherever this finds you, I hope it leads you to deeper, sweeter sleep. Thanks for tuning in. This has been a presentation of Cadence 13 studios. I hope you'll listen, follow, rate, and review all of our episodes, which are available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Odyssey, or wherever you get your podcasts.