Podcasts · Better in Bed with The Sleep Doctor
The Sleep Anxiety Fix No One Talks About with Mollie Eastman
· 45 min · S1 E3 · Explicit
Episode The Sleep Anxiety Fix No One Talks About with Mollie Eastman
Dr. Michael J. Breus sits down with Mollie Eastman, founder of Sleep Is a Skill, to explore the connection between anxiety and sleep. Mollie shares her personal journey from debilitating sleep anxiety and acute insomnia—rooted in a chaotic upbringing and years of benzodiazepine use—to discovering alternative paths to rest and healing like psychedelics and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Insomnia (ACT-I). The episode closes with practical safety guidelines for anyone considering recreational substances as a sleep aid, and Mollie's two core anchor habits: a consistent wake time and morning bright light exposure.
Note: This episode discusses recreational drug use for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice—listeners should consult a healthcare professional before trying anything discussed.
Learn more about Mollie Eastman at sleepisaskill.com and follow her on TikTok and Instagram. For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast.
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Chapters:
00:00 Medical disclaimer
01:31 How Mollie slept last night (and her psychedelic journey)
03:14 Defining sleep anxiety
03:22 How international travel triggered Mollie's insomnia
04:44 "Sleep is like love" — chasing sleep makes it worse
05:01 Doctors, benzos, and the fear of a pharmaceutical path
06:00 How Mollie pulled herself out of insomnia
06:48 Connecting psychedelics and sleep
07:16 Mollie's trauma background and psilocybin experimentation
08:19 Tracking HRV and sleep improvements with Oura data
10:12 Beckley Institute and legal psychedelic retreats
11:04 How to safely screen for and prepare for a retreat
13:10 Nervous system dysregulation and unresolved trauma
14:04 "Hardware vs. software" — why psychedelics target the root cause
15:27 Fear as the root of insomnia
16:36 Sponsor: Coop Sleep Goods pillows
18:06 Listener question: THC gummies for sleep
18:41 Dr. Breus on THC, CBN, and CBD dosing
20:33 Mollie on THC for sleep onset vs. optimization
22:09 Cannabis risks for seniors
24:40 ACT-I therapy, explained
25:15 CBT-I vs. ACT-I
28:28 Sponsor: Sleep Doctor
29:32 Insights from Dr. Satchin Panda (Salk Institute)
30:16 Eating timing, digestion, and melatonin
33:05 Living in Austin as a "healthy geography"
33:23 Latitude, sunlight strength, and mitochondrial health
35:05 Time spent indoors (EPA data) and vitamin D
36:23 Mollie's top two anchor habits for better sleep
37:03 Where to find Mollie Eastman (Sleep Is a Skill)
39:06 Recap: understanding sleep anxiety
40:25 Guidelines for safely exploring recreational drugs for sleep
41:56 Outro & credits
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