The Midnight Mind Race - World Sleep Day

Welcome back to my blog! In honour of World Sleep Day, I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that has been a persistent challenge for me - sleep. Or, more accurately, the lack of it!

I’d love to blame my sleepless nights solely on parenting (because yes, being a parent doesn’t exactly help), but if I’m being honest, my struggles with sleep started long before that. From a young age, I found it hard to calm my mind at night. I was prescribed melatonin when I was around 12 years old - a natural hormone that helps regulate sleep by signalling to the body that it’s time to wind down. While it helped me fall asleep faster, the trade-off was waking up feeling groggy and sluggish all day. That grogginess became frustrating and counterproductive, so I stopped it from the age of around 15.

I think my struggles with sleep are universal at their core - the classic issue of an overactive brain refusing to quiet down the moment my head hits the pillow. It’s as though my mind thrives on switching into overdrive just when I need it to be still.

The Midnight Mind Race

The fundamental problem for me is inconsistency. Even when I try to stick to good sleep habits - going to bed at the same time, avoiding food after 8 p.m., exercising, and keeping a regular wake-up time - every night feels unpredictable. It’s as if my brain has decided that bedtime is the perfect moment to spark endless internal debates. It’s like my mind says, “Oh, we’re not going to sleep now - we’ve got things to discuss!”

I understand that sleep is supposed to be restorative. It helps the brain process information from the day, almost like filing things away into organised drawers But for me, it often feels like my brain is trying to do that while I’m wide awake at 2 a.m. instead of during REM sleep.

The thoughts themselves are almost laughable in hindsight. Things like hypothetical worries, pointless “what-if” scenarios, or rehashing the day’s events. But at the time, they feel overwhelming and all-consuming. I often tell myself, “Just go to sleep already!” - but we all know how counterproductive that is. The harder you try to sleep, the less likely it is to happen.

The Phone Dilemma

Lately, I’ve been guilty of grabbing my phone when I can’t sleep. I know it’s one of the worst things I could do, but sometimes watching something mind-numbingly boring helps distract my thoughts just enough to feel tired. After about 30 minutes, I’ll feel the phone slipping out of my hand, and that’s when I know I’m finally on the verge of drifting off. Of course, this creates a vicious cycle - I end up relying on screen time to fall asleep, and that just feels wrong.

Another thing that helps me nod off (and no surprise here) is music. Something deep and soothing, like piano music, is perfect. But the real challenge comes the next morning - trying to locate my AirPods after a night of tossing and turning haha. They’ll either be wedged behind the bed, or, on one occasion, I found one floating in the glass of water on my bedside table! I swear those things grow legs in the night-time.

The Mystery of Sleep

Here’s what puzzles me most about sleep: it doesn’t always make sense. On those rare nights when I get a full eight or nine hours without waking up, I sometimes feel even more tired the next day. How does that even work? Sleep seems to follow its own rules.

I’ve read a lot about circadian rhythms and the body’s internal clock - how light exposure, hormones, and diet play a role in regulating sleep. (Fact-check: Do primates or other animals struggle with sleep the way we do? I’d love to know!) Sleep is such a natural, coded trait, yet in today’s fast-paced world, it often feels anything but natural.

Why should we need tools like meditation apps or sleep hygiene routines to do something our bodies are biologically programmed to do? Sometimes, I envy how effortlessly children fall asleep, as if the world just fades away the moment they close their eyes.

For now, I’m still navigating it - trying to strike a balance between winding down and switching off. If you have any tips or tricks, I’d love to hear them. Let me know what works for you below in the comments, and how you tackle sleepless nights.

Today I released a remix version of ‘Opening Serenade’ - a collaboration with ambient producer Matt Robertson. This track has been a game-changer for me when it comes to calming my mind before bed. It’s four minutes of pure magic, with evolving textures that really help me wind down. I think you’ll agree, Matt has done an incredible job - you can listen to it here.

I also wanted to share my playlist Deep Sleep Piano. It’s been really popular among listeners who are looking for something soft and soothing to help them relax. Personally, I find it helps to have a long playlist with gentle melodies that guide me into sleep. Ps be prepared to lose your headphones ;)

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