If your brain turns into a 3 a.m. drama queen, doing math on how many hours you won’t sleep, predicting how awful tomorrow will be, and spiraling about “what if I can’t fall asleep?”, this episode is for you.

In Part 3 of our Sleep Series, we go beyond sleep hygiene and talk about chronic insomnia as a mind-body pattern: a nervous system stuck in “danger” mode, even when you’re lying in bed, lights off, doing everything right. Sandy breaks down how neuroplasticity, the amygdala, and the vagus nerve all play a role in sleep anxiety, hyperarousal, and that lovely performance pressure that shows up the second your head hits the pillow.

We unpack how:

• Chronic insomnia is learned, not a character flaw and how the brain wires “bed = danger.”
• Catastrophizing and forecasting (“If I don’t sleep, I’ll ruin tomorrow”) quietly fuel the insomnia loop.
• Mindfulness and cognitive diffusion help you see thoughts as thoughts, not prophecies.
• Paradoxical intention (trying to stay awake on purpose) can lower sleep performance anxiety.
• Somatic tools like progressive muscle relaxation, yoga nidra, guided imagery, autogenic training, gentle movement, and breathwork (including 4-7-8 and box breathing) send the body a clear “you’re safe” signal.
• Vagus nerve activation helps shift you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest so sleep can actually happen.

Sandy also shares five practical, try-it-tonight steps to start resetting your mind-body sleep loop, like reframing just one catastrophic thought, using paradoxical intention, doing a 2–3 minute breathing practice, and giving yourself permission to rest even if you’re not asleep.

We also revisit sleep apnea and the mind-body connection: why obstructive sleep apnea still needs real medical evaluation (hi, ResMed 11 👋), but how stress and nervous system overdrive can make apnea episodes worse, and where mind-body tools may support medical treatment, not replace it.

If you’ve ever felt broken, “bad at sleep,” or stuck in the No-Sleep Olympics, this episode is your reminder: you’re not alone, you’re not broken, and your brain can absolutely learn a new pattern. We’re rewiring our brains right alongside you.

👉 Connect with us:

• Instagram: @thehealthhunt_podcast
• Email: info@thehealthhunt.com
• Fullscript supplement store (including our beloved magnesium):
• Resmed

Share this episode with someone who’s tired of being tired and ready to try something different than just “more sleep hacks.”

You know that feeling when you technically slept… but wake up feeling like you got hit by a sleep-deprivation bus? We get it.

In Part 2 of our Sleep Series, Sandi steps into the sleep confessional and shares what’s actually helped her sleep better, from understanding sleep stages and tracking her data, to magnesium glycinate, nighttime routines, ambient noise, and why red wine and late-night pasta are not the sleep hacks we hoped they’d be.

This episode blends real-life experimentation with nerdy-but-practical sleep science so you can start making small changes that add up to deeper, more restorative sleep.

We cover:

• The four stages of sleep (light, deep, REM) and why waking up at the wrong point in the cycle leaves you groggy
• How 90-minute sleep cycles explain why 7.5 hours can feel better than 8
• What Sandi’s Apple Watch sleep data reveals about REM, deep sleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate
• Why some people really can thrive on 4–6 hours (hello, genetic short sleepers) and why most of us are not those people
• How room temperature, light, and blue light (TV, phones, screens) quietly sabotage sleep
• The real story on melatonin, why it made Sandi feel hungover, and who it might be better suited for
• How alcohol (especially that “relaxing” red wine) disrupts deep sleep, REM, and your overnight repair work
• Why magnesium glycinate is Sandi & Dan’s sleep crush, how it supports the nervous system, and when to take it
• The difference between white noise, pink noise, and brown noise — and how to use each one
• Morning sunlight, circadian rhythm, and why getting outside early helps you fall asleep later
• Caffeine cut-off times and how late-night eating & drinking can trigger wakeups and anxiety
• Sandi’s real-life sleep experiments: dogs with dementia, 3 a.m. barking, red light lamps, sleep headbands, and all

If you’ve ever:

• Woken up exhausted after 8–10 hours
• Felt wired at night but wiped during the day
• Relied on wine, melatonin, or Netflix to “shut your brain off”
• Wondered if sleep tracking is worth it

…this episode is for you.

Links

• Questions or stories? info@thehealthhunt.com
• Social: @thehealthhunt_podcast
• Fullscript: Our curated practitioner-grade store with community discounts up to 25% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thehealthhunt

Disclaimer

The Health Hunt Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not provide medical advice. We are not medical professionals. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before changing your diet, exercise, supplements, or medications.

If this episode helped you feel a little less alone in your sleep struggles, share it with someone who’s also chasing better sleep, hit follow and leave a quick review so more tired tired humans can find us.

You know that foggy, half-alive feeling after a few brutal nights of sleep? That’s where this episode was born.

In Part 1 of our Sleep Series, Dan shares his very real (and sometimes hilarious) journey through insomnia, sleep apnea, sleep studies, mouth guards, and life with a CPAP machine and what finally started to help him sleep again.

If you’ve ever stared at the ceiling at 3 a.m. wondering, “Is this my life now?”, you’re in good company.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Dan went from “I just can’t fall asleep” to a diagnosis of sleep onset insomnia
• What actually happens in CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) and why turning your bedroom into a “sleep monastery” isn’t always the magic fix
• The surprising mix of doctors who touch sleep: pulmonologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, and even a sleep-trained dentist
• What a mandibular advancement device (mouth guard) does for sleep apnea and why Dan had to chew gum every morning just to get his jaw back in place
• What an overnight sleep study is really like (all the wires, lab people watching you sleep, and trying to rest on what feels like cinder blocks)
• How Dan discovered he had moderate obstructive sleep apnea, what his AHI (apnea–hypopnea index) actually meant, and why it matters for long-term heart and brain health
• Life with a ResMed APAP/CPAP machine: the Darth Vader vibes, the airport “CPAP club,” and why it’s been genuinely life-changing for his energy, focus, and recovery
• The ongoing battle with middle-of-the-night wake-ups (middle insomnia), cortisol spikes, bathroom trips, and why sleep is rarely a one-and-done fix

Along the way, we talk about:

• How much that silently costs your body
• Why sleep apnea is massively underdiagnosed and not just an “older, overweight guy” problem
• How sleep isn’t passive “rest” it’s an active biological reset that affects hormones, metabolism, mood, performance, and longevity

This episode isn’t a perfect-protocol “how-to.”
It’s an honest look at what happens when you finally take sleep seriously, advocate for yourself, and realize you’re not lazy, broken, or “bad at sleeping” your body is just asking for help.

💤 If you’re trying to crack your own sleep code — from insomnia to suspected sleep apnea to 3 a.m. anxiety, this conversation is here to help you feel less alone, a little more informed, and maybe more curious about what your own sleep is trying to tell you.

Stay tuned for Sleep Series Part 2 (Sandi’s story: What worked and what didn't) and Part 3 (the mind–body side of chronic insomnia).

Mentioned in This Episode (no sponsorship)

• ResMed (CPAP Machines and Respiratory Health). https://www.resmed.com/en-us/

Links

• 💌 Questions or stories? info@thehealthhunt.com
• 📲 Social: @thehealthhunt_podcast
• Fullscript: Our curated practitioner-grade store with community discounts up to 25% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thehealthhunt

Disclaimer

The Health Hunt Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not provide medical advice. We are not medical professionals. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before changing your diet, exercise, supplements, or medications.

If this episode gave you an insight into better sleep, follow, rate the show, and share it with someone you care about (or anyone on the street, we're okay with that). Your shares help this community grow.