Why Even Sleep Coaches Struggle to Sleep — And the Tiny Change That Helped Me

They say the shoemaker’s kids go barefoot.

I guess that makes me the sleep coach with torn shoes.

Even though I help people wind down, unplug, and build better nights for a living… I wasn’t exactly following my own rules.

Every single night, I’d place my phone neatly on my night table.

Not turn it off.

Not put it on airplane mode.

Just… place it there.

And I told myself a very convincing story about why.

“It takes too long to turn back on in the morning.”

For the last couple of years, I’ve been waking up somewhere between 5:00 and 6:30 a.m. And once I’m up… I’m up.

Here’s the thing: when I wake up, my mind isn’t groggy or half-asleep. It’s fully alert. It’s racing. It’s like it’s expecting a rude awakening, bracing for the day. And that’s when I tell myself, Well, I’m not going to fall back asleep anyway, so I might as well get a head start on my messages and emails.

And honestly? It felt like the correct thing to tell myself.

Work. Productivity. Responsibility. Who can argue with that?

Last week, I had a Zoom call with a health coach I admire. We’re teaming up to run a two-part workshop in February about sleep and nutrition. Somewhere in the middle of our planning, she casually mentioned something she’s been doing lately.

She removes her phone from her bedroom at night.

Now here’s the funny part.

I’ve heard this advice countless times.

I’ve even given this advice countless times.

So why did it suddenly land now?

Because she wasn’t preaching.

Because she was relatable, vulnerable, and real.

Because she admitted she struggles with downtime, just like the rest of us.

She was being honest about how hard it is to carve out space to wind down before bed, and how she’s still learning too.

That night, I didn’t just close my phone.

I put it on a different dresser — far enough away that I’d have to physically get out of bed to reach it.

And I made myself one small promise.

I will not look at my phone until I actually get out of bed.

Notice what I didn’t say.

Not until the kids are up.

Not until 10 a.m.

Not “never again.”

Baby steps. Just: until I get out of bed.

The first night, I expected it to feel uncomfortable. But getting up to grab the phone wasn’t hard. It was small, deliberate, and… quietly freeing. I realized I didn’t have to react immediately the moment I woke. I could just lie there for a few minutes and let my body catch up to my mind.

I’ve been doing this for a week now.

And here’s what’s changed:

• I’m sleeping later. Sometimes until 7:00 a.m.

• When I wake up and glance at the clock (yes, it’s usually covered), I lie there instead of springing into action.

• My brain isn’t instantly jumping into doing mode anymore.

• It’s learning that it’s allowed to relax.

• It’s no longer on high alert to get up and start working.

  
  

In other words… I’m sleeping longer.

And today?

Today I woke up to my alarm.

That hasn’t happened in years.

What hits me most about all of this isn’t just the extra sleep.

It’s the reminder that we are always learning.

Even when we’re the “expert.”

Even when we teach this stuff for a living.

Even when we know better.

Change doesn’t always come from hearing the right information.

Sometimes it comes from the right moment.

The right person.

The right kind of honesty.

And sometimes, the smallest shift — like moving your phone to a different dresser — can quietly rewire your nervous system.

No pressure.

No big declarations.

Just a gentle signal to your brain:

You’re safe. You don’t have to be on duty yet.

I’ve written before about how food influences sleep and why you can’t treat your body like an ATM — the same principle applies here: small adjustments, small boundaries, and tiny moments of self-care make a bigger difference than we often realize. Read more here.

So yes… the sleep coach is still human.

I’m still learning.

Still experimenting.

Still catching myself in old habits.

And still proving to myself that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to be real.

Sometimes it looks like a phone, a dresser, and a few extra minutes of morning sleep.

And honestly?

I’ll take that win.

If you’re curious about how even the smallest adjustments can improve your sleep, I’d love to help you find the baby steps that work for you. You can schedule a quick, no-pressure discovery call here: 30-minute session.