I'm Tired of My Freakin' Sleep Problem!

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode: "I'm Tired of My Freakin' Sleep Problem!" Release Date: April 1, 2025

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Introduction: The Frustration of Sleep Issues

In this episode of the official on-demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show, host Jack Armstrong, alongside co-hosts Joe Getty and Arm, delves into the universal struggle of sleep problems. The conversation kicks off with Jack's exasperation over his persistent sleep challenges, setting the stage for an engaging discussion on the complexities of sleep patterns and societal perceptions.

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A Strange Encounter: The Hair Braiding Incident

Kate's Unwanted Hair Braider

The episode opens with a humorous yet relatable anecdote from Kate, who recounts a bizarre experience of waking up from a nap on a plane to find her hair braided by a stranger.

Notable Quote:

Kate: "To the man that braided my hair while I was sleep on the plane. I need you to come forth immediately... Don't touch people while they're asleep. It's weird."
[Timestamp: 00:13]

This incident leads to a broader conversation about being a "sound sleeper" and the peculiarities of personal boundaries related to sleep.

Jack’s Take on Sound Sleeping

Jack: "Okay, man, you're a sound sleeper is all I take from that."
[Timestamp: 00:50]

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Navigating Sleep Patterns: Personal Experiences and Challenges

Jack’s Contradictory Sleep Habits

Jack shares his perplexing ability to sleep soundly despite behaviors typically deemed detrimental to good sleep, such as prolonged phone usage and caffeine consumption.

Notable Quote:

Jack: "All the stuff about you can't look at your phone, you can't eat this... I go sound asleep. So it can't be those things, can it?"
[Timestamp: 01:10]

Joe’s Perspective on Sleep Strategy

Joe discusses the conventional advice often given by doctors, highlighting the paradox where prescribed sleep strategies can sometimes backfire, leading to further sleep disturbances.

Notable Quote:

Joe: "A doctor might say... follow my eight point plan. You'll slumber like a baby."
[Timestamp: 02:14]

Armstrong’s Reflection

Armstrong echoes Jack's sentiment, admitting his difficulty with sleeping on planes and how societal rules around sleep often overlook individual differences.

Notable Quote:

Armstrong: "I would wake up if somebody looked at me on a plane... I can't sleep on a plane to begin with."
[Timestamp: 00:56]

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Chronotypes Explored: Morning Larks vs. Night Owls

Understanding Genetic Predispositions

The hosts delve into the concept of chronotypes—natural tendencies to be morning larks or night owls—exploring how genetics influence our sleep-wake patterns.

Notable Quote:

AI Explanation: "Some people are naturally more inclined to be night owls or nocturnal... due to a genetic predisposition that affects their circadian rhythm."
[Timestamp: 04:09]

Jack’s Personal Chronotype

Jack reveals his naturally nocturnal tendencies, reminiscing about his time working late-night shifts at UPS, which allowed him to align his sleep schedule more closely with his natural inclinations.

Notable Quote:

Jack: "The only time I've ever been well rested... was when I was sleeping from 4am to noon. It was fantastic."
[Timestamp: 03:12]

Societal Perceptions and Biases

Joe and Jack discuss how society often favors early risers, branding them as more disciplined or "better," despite the natural diversity in sleep preferences.

Notable Quote:

Jack: "We apply character to people who get up early... Even though they might just be built that way."
[Timestamp: 04:26]

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Health Implications and Lifestyle Adjustments

The Importance of Understanding Your Chronotype

The conversation emphasizes the critical role sleep patterns play in overall health and well-being, advocating for a greater understanding of individual chronotypes to foster better health outcomes.

Notable Quote:

Jack: "I think it's such a critical pillar of health."
[Timestamp: 03:35]

Professor’s Insight on Sleep Variability

Referencing expert opinions, a professor from the University of Oxford explains that sleep pattern variations are as natural and varied as other biological characteristics like hair or eye color.

Notable Quote:

Professor: "There's a normal distribution. So there are people on both extremes and the majority of people are neither."
[Timestamp: 08:17]

Practical Advice and Skepticism of One-Size-Fits-All Solutions

While conventional wisdom suggests specific habits to improve sleep, the hosts advocate for recognizing and respecting individual differences in sleep needs.

Notable Quote:

Jack: "Why isn't this talked about more... as opposed to, well, you're a late night person so you're going to struggle with it."
[Timestamp: 08:41]

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Humor and Light-Hearted Banter

Imagining Tribal Roles Based on Chronotypes

The hosts humorously imagine how different chronotypes would have been valuable in tribal settings, with night owls acting as night watchmen and morning larks taking on roles like early hunters.

Notable Quote:

Joe: "You'd think there would be... 'Joe the lark.'"
[Timestamp: 06:15]

Laughs About Occupational Sleep

The conversation takes a lighter turn as the hosts joke about unconventional sleep habits, including falling asleep in dental chairs and during medical procedures.

Notable Quote:

Getty: "The best sleep I get, believe it or not, is in the dental chair."
[Timestamp: 09:36]

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Conclusion: Embracing Sleep Diversity

The episode wraps up with a consensus on the need to acknowledge and accommodate the natural diversity in sleep patterns. The hosts advocate for a more personalized approach to sleep health, moving away from generalized advice that doesn't account for individual differences.

Final Thoughts:

Armstrong: "You just wired that way and you're screwed."
[Timestamp: 07:21]

The conversation leaves listeners with a deeper appreciation of the complexities surrounding sleep and the importance of understanding one's unique sleep needs for better health and well-being.

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This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a blend of humor, personal stories, and insightful discussions on sleep, urging listeners to rethink conventional sleep advice and embrace their natural rhythms. Whether you're a night owl, a morning lark, or somewhere in between, the hosts provide valuable perspectives on navigating the often perplexing world of sleep.

Transcript

[Jack]

I'm tired of my freaking sleep problem. It's one more thing. Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe]

One more thing.

[Jack]

Is this self explanatory. Okay, here we go.

[Kate]

To the man that braided my hair while I was sleep on the plane. I need you to come forth immediately. You said directly behind me. Some people might say, how did you let somebody braid your hair? First of all, when I get on the plane, I don't sleep. I hibernate. I remember specifically I'm asleep on the plane and I hear. And I said, who is taking pictures? And when I wake up, it's literally right in my ear. That's where I found the braid. Don't touch people while they're asleep. It's weird.

[Jack]

Woman went to sleep on the plane and somebody braided her hair while she's asleep and she's unhappy about it and.

[Joe]

Wants them to come forward.

[Jack]

Okay, man, you're a sound sleeper is all I take from that.

[Armstrong]

I would wake up if somebody looked at me on a plane. Well, I can't sleep on a plane to begin with, but yeah, boy, I can't.

[Joe]

That's why you can't sleep in a bed.

[Jack]

I know, that's. Now I'm gonna get sidetracked on the sleep thing again.

[Joe]

Yeah, but.

[Jack]

So all the stuff about you can't look at your phone, you can't eat this, or all the things you got to do. Then why can I sleep like a baby on a plane? Or in the afternoon, I stare at my phone for like eight hours before I lay down for a nap and go sound asleep. Or on a plane, I'm in an uncomfortable position on a plane. I've been looking at my phone for hours.

[Joe]

Yeah. I got strangers all around you looking at you.

[Jack]

I've taken no melatonin or magnesium or any of those things. I go sound asleep. So it can't be those things, can it?

[Joe]

I don't have any idea. That's a really interesting set of questions.

[Armstrong]

Yeah, well, I've. I've done this to myself where I've stressed myself out enough about not sleeping that I can't sleep.

[Jack]

True, true.

[Joe]

I've finally achieved the Zen, like, ability to not do that. Took me years. Yeah.

[Jack]

Or even the coffee thing. I go home for a nap. I've been drinking coffee all morning, and I go to sleep. So phone, coffee, all the things you're not supposed to do that are supposedly keeping me up at night. And he goes sound asleep. Sir. Something different. I don't know what it is.

[Joe]

Yeah, yeah. A doctor might say well, you don't know. No, you can't sleep at night because you do all those things. Then you finally crash with such exhaustion. You sleep in the day, which makes it harder to sleep at night. Follow my eight point plan. You'll slumber like a baby.

[Jack]

But why wouldn't it reverse at some point?

[Joe]

I don't have any F and I.

[Jack]

You can't sleep for your nap, but you fall asleep at night.

[Joe]

Well, right, right. I try and try to nap, but I just can't.

[Jack]

Never had that problem.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Jack]

What is that?

[Joe]

I don't know. It's something emotional brain chemistry. Obviously it's true.

[Jack]

When you lay down for a nap.

[Joe]

Or maybe you're nocturnal. Is there a certain percentage of the population that is meant to be nocturnal?

[Jack]

Possum.

[Armstrong]

I was just going to say Jack's.

[Joe]

Opossum a little bit. My daughter Kate, my oldest is. She's one of those people who will live Keith Richards hours. Left her own devices.

[Jack]

Me too. I know I am. I just have a job that doesn't allow it. The one time in my life where I could sleep whenever I wanted to as I was working at UPS late at night and it allowed my hours to just be. I never set an alarm clock. I'd go to sleep at like 4 in the morning and I'd wake up around noon on my own. Only time I've ever been well rested in my life and not wishing I could lay down immediately was when I was sleeping from 4am to noon. It was fantastic. I think I'm just built for that. And you either are, you aren't. And if you're not in that cycle that you're built for, then you're just perpetually unhappy. I think it's such a critical pillar of health.

[Joe]

You'd think there would be more known about it and everybody would know it. It wouldn't be nearly as mysterious.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Armstrong]

And why is all the stuff that they prescribe to help? It's like, I can't take that because I will be a mess the next day probably because of these hours. But.

[Joe]

Okay, here you go. All right. According to AI which would never make a mistake. Yes. Some people are naturally more inclined to be night owls or nocturnal. Meaning they have a preference for staying up late and waking up later due to a genetic predisposition that affects their circadian rhythm.

[Jack]

And like a lot of things in society, we apply character to people who get up early, naturally, and go to bed early. Even though they might just be built that way.

[Joe]

Right.

[Jack]

Like they're better people than those of us who would rather stay up late and sleep till noon.

[Joe]

Although for all of human history, with very few exceptions, you had to get up and hunt and be done by the time the sun went down. So we developed morality around practical reality.

[Jack]

Could be.

[Joe]

Yeah. Humans have different sleep wake patterns or chronotypes which range from morning larks to night owls. You call me a morning lark. We're fighting. I like girls.

[Jack]

It's a little bit of a dandy kind of term.

[Joe]

Yeah, it is. Yeah. Genetic and environmental factors factor in. All right, let's check out this whole morning larks thing. Or night owls.

[Jack]

I never sleep as well as I do at 1:30 in the afternoon.

[Joe]

Let me accept all cookies. I really enjoy cookies.

[Armstrong]

Yeah, I'm the same way, Jack. I can lay down and take a nap and I'm out. Tell me to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

[Jack]

Right.

[Armstrong]

Just gonna lay there.

[Jack]

Here's the question for any doctor out there then. So why does the staring at a smartphone or drinking caffeine or whatever not apply to that sleep? That's the question I have.

[Armstrong]

And I know that it's crap because I don't look at my phone in bed. So that's not the issue here.

[Joe]

Wow. So this is interesting. I was hoping they had a whole list of your various birds you're supposed to be. I guess this is an interesting insight. Though such diversity may have benefited our ancestors, having people who are naturally inclined to sleep at different times may have increased the likelihood of survival for hunter gatherer tribes.

[Jack]

Right. That makes perfect sense. Are you saying you want me to be the night watchman? No problem. I'm going to sleep during the day.

[Joe]

Who will protect us at night? Oh, Lazy Jack. Of course, they wouldn't have had a value judgment. They'd say they would probably call you sees at night or something. Some groovy Indian name. Or just the Owl. They'd call you and you'd be no, like, I got your back. Everybody slumber. Well, just don't be effing bothering me in the morning when y'all are going after the antelope.

[Armstrong]

And then, yeah, we'll call in Joe the lark.

[Joe]

Right. I've got this one.

[Jack]

My Indian name would be Bald man with murder Face.

[Joe]

Grumbles with anger, is awake.

[Jack]

Yeah. Who wants to work third shift? You know, watching the castle gate. Happy to do it. I'll go to sleep at 5 in the morning when the sun's coming up and sleep till about 2 in the afternoon.

[Joe]

Right. And people would be very grateful to have you know, a certain number of your type in the tribe? That's got to be it. Well, there you go.

[Armstrong]

Yes. You just wired that way and you're screwed.

[Joe]

Let's, let's, you know, take the baton from. Well, I couldn't do this from Jim Bohannon and do an all night talk show. We'd rule the airwaves. Truckers would enjoy our show. Of course, do a podcast whenever the hell you want.

[Jack]

Back, back when that used to be a thing. It's not really anymore, but back when that used to be a real thing in the radio industry, I thought that would be the perfect job for me. Alone in a room, taking calls, talking about stuff.

[Joe]

Oh, it sounds like a nightmare in.

[Jack]

The middle of the night. Oh, I would have loved that. Doesn't fit in with much of a raising kid sort of a lifestyle.

[Joe]

Yeah, let's see. So there's.

[Jack]

I was lucky that I got to run the experiment that one time when I was working at ups. That, that sleep pattern, oh my God, it was so awesome.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Jack]

I didn't set an alarm for like nine months. Only time I've ever in my life felt well rested.

[Joe]

So here's a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford says the variation in sleep patterns is simply how genetics works. It mirrors the differences in hair, eye and skin color or height. Quote, it's a bit like any other biological characteristic. There's a normal distribution. So there are people on both extremes and the majority of people are neither.

[Jack]

Well, why isn't this talked about more than applying these rules of. Well, that you're looking at your smartphone too much and you need to take magnesium and all these different things as opposed to, well, you're a late night person so you're going to struggle with it. I don't know, try to figure out how to get a nap.

[Joe]

Isn't the first thing you should do is establish what chronotype you are?

[Jack]

Obviously my dad clearly is a guy that is built because he's done this his whole life and he's well rested. He goes to bed at like 9 at night and gets up at 4.

[Joe]

In the morning because he's got more character than you.

[Jack]

Well, that's the way it's been applied. Yes. But it worked perfect for his job.

[Joe]

Yeah. Wow. I think we've, we've had a real breakthrough here. Yeah. I would like. We need to publish a peer reviewed paper. Does anybody have any idea how you get started on that?

[Jack]

First we need to find peers, other talk show hosts.

[Joe]

Right.

[Jack]

Make genital jokes. Is that our peers?

[Joe]

Oh, my.

[Armstrong]

Back to genitals.

[Getty]

You know, the best sleep I get, believe it or not, is in the dental chair. I don't know if you guys ever fall asleep.

[Jack]

That's the nitrous oxide.

[Getty]

No, no. I can. If I get my teeth cleaned, I fall asleep in the chair.

[Jack]

There's an anesthesiologist there. Do you. I don't think you understand what goes on with surgery. The one that mask they put over your mouth, that's to put you asleep.

[Joe]

You wake up in. Your belt is unbuckled. You don't know why.

[Getty]

Just saying. Well, I guess that's it.

[Jack]

What? What's that?

[Armstrong]

Well, I'm just. You sleep at the dentist?

[Joe]

Yeah. During, like, cleanings?

[Getty]

Yeah, during cleanings.

[Armstrong]

What the hell? Okay.

[Joe]

I just count the tenths of seconds as they crawl by.

[Jack]

Right. Because they make that sound with the scraper on your teeth. Yeah.

[Armstrong]

I am just continuously wiping the sweat off the palms of my hands while.

[Jack]

I'm at the dentist. Sleep like a baby. You know, it puts me to sleep. A prostate exam, man, I'm out like a light afterward.

[Getty]

Yeah, Hanson grabbed all. This is good stuff.