109: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 109

109: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 109

What drives someone to seek a life where rest finally feels allowed? This episode of Sleep Science Today centres on that question as host Andrew Colsky chats with life and health coach Ellie Hyvonen about sleep, burnout and the quiet pressure to "do it all". Ellie works with high-capacity mums and wives who are exhausted by perfectionism and guilt, yet still feel they should be "fully present" at work and at home.

She shares her own story of chronic illness and Lyme disease, describing years of joint pain, fatigue and hair loss stacked on top of a relentless achiever mindset. That experience led her to focus on rest as a key part of healing rather than just more medication or quick fixes. You’ll hear Ellie break down sleep as part of a bigger picture of rest, starting with practical health coaching questions: "Tell me about your routines already.

Tell me about what you're eating. Tell me about how much water you're drinking." From there, she introduces seven types of rest – physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative and spiritual – so that people who "just can't sleep" have other ways to recharge while they work on their nights. There’s plenty of simple science too, from how light affects melatonin to why heavy meals late at night can wreck sleep.

Ellie talks about a "power down hour" before bed, catching the calming 6–10 p.m. window, and being cautious with high-dose melatonin, noting that the body naturally needs only a fraction of what’s often taken. Most reassuringly, she stresses that success comes in tiny steps: "Success is in the 1% change.

A small hinge will swing a very big door." For anyone whose recovery or wellbeing feels stuck because life is overloaded, this conversation offers a gentler approach: start with one habit, one moment of rest, and see what shifts. Which small change could be your hinge today?