In this episode of The Matcha Guardians, we dive into sleep—why it’s crucial, what affects it, and how we can improve it. Diana Weil, Elara Hadjipateras, and Jon Gay share their personal experiences with sleep struggles, night wakings, and the impact of lifestyle habits like alcohol, caffeine, and screen time.
Jon shares how cutting alcohol after 5 PM has significantly improved his sleep, but one late-night drink led to a restless night—reinforcing what we know about alcohol’s effect on blood sugar and sleep cycles. Diana explains the science behind this, highlighting how alcohol disrupts blood sugar levels, leading to middle-of-the-night wake-ups. She also notes that caffeine affects people differently based on genetics, with fast metabolizers able to drink coffee at night without issue while slow metabolizers, like Jon and herself, suffer from disrupted sleep.
Elara, as a parent of a young toddler and currently pregnant, shares her reality of fragmented sleep. She’s learned to manage by going to bed early and using audiobooks as a calming ritual before sleep. She recommends The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros as a great bedtime escape- "dragon smut" as she refers to it.
The discussion shifts to sound therapy for sleep. Jon has experimented with frequency tones, while Diana swears by brown noise, which she finds much more soothing than white noise. Elara explains the different types of background noise—pink, brown, white, and green—and how they each serve unique purposes, from drowning out city noise to helping anxious minds relax.
The hosts also discuss sleep training for their babies. Diana initially planned on sleep training but found co-sleeping worked best—until frequent night wakings led her to try a gentle sleep-training method with her husband stepping in for nighttime soothing. This quickly resulted in longer sleep stretches for her baby. Elara, on the other hand, takes a more relaxed approach, still offering a bottle during night wakings and embracing the unpredictability of toddler sleep.
Diana shares her experience with night terrors, which started at age 12 and continued into adulthood. Surprisingly, she found relief when she began supplementing with B12 and omega-3s, hinting at a possible nutritional link. Elara reveals that she used to talk—and even cry—in her sleep, raising interesting questions about the subconscious mind and sleep habits.
Breathing exercises for relaxation also come up. While the 4-7-8 breathing method is well-known for reducing anxiety and aiding sleep, Elara finds that box breathing (equal-length inhales, holds, and exhales) can actually increase stress when done at night. She suggests it’s better suited for daytime stress management.
From a dietitian’s perspective, Diana emphasizes the role of nutrition in sleep quality. She advises against going to bed overly hungry and suggests balanced meals with proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs to keep blood sugar stable overnight. If mid-night wake-ups are frequent, a small snack like peanut butter with an apple or string cheese with nuts can help. They key is combining two of the three macronutrients: fat, protein, and carbohydates.
Finally, the conversation turns to caffeine, particularly the benefits of switching from coffee to matcha. Elara breaks down how matcha provides a gentler, longer-lasting energy boost without the crash, thanks to its high L-theanine content. She suggests replacing afternoon coffee with matcha to improve sleep quality. They also highlight the new decaf matcha option from Matcha Kari for those who are caffeine-sensitive.
The episode wraps up with a reflection on society’s bias toward early risers and whether night owls are unfairly judged. The hosts also discuss the pressure of tracking sleep and fitness with technology, debating whether wearable devices actually help or just create unnecessary stress.
Ultimately, the key takeaway is that sleep quality is influenced by a mix of lifestyle choices, diet, stress management, and personal rhythms. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, small, intentional habits—like cutting caffeine earlier, using sound therapy, or adjusting diet—can make a meaningful difference in how well we rest.
The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros: https://www.goodreads.com/series/345921-the-empyrean
Hatch Sound Machine: https://www.hatch.co
Nanit Sound Machine: https://www.nanit.com/products/nanit-sound-light
Spotify Brown Noise Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/brown-noise
(00:00:00) – Intro to The Matcha Guardians Podcast
(00:00:21) – Why Sleep Is an Obsession for Us
(00:00:51) – Alcohol & Sleep: How It Disrupts Rest
(00:01:43) – Is Caffeine Affecting Your Sleep? Genetics & Processing
(00:03:08) – Why Some People Can Drink Coffee at Night & Others Can’t
(00:05:15) – Elara’s Sleep Struggles as a Mom & How She Manages
(00:06:23) – Sound Therapy: Brown Noise vs. White Noise
(00:09:59) – Do Babies Need Sleep Training? Different Approaches
(00:13:47) – The Reality of Sleep Deprivation for New Parents
(00:17:41) – Night Terrors, Sleep Talking & Strange Sleep Behaviors
(00:22:00) – Breathing Techniques for Sleep: What Works & What Doesn’t
(00:26:38) – How Diet Impacts Sleep: What to Eat & Avoid
(00:29:16) – Best Late-Night Snacks for Better Sleep
(00:30:15) – The Dangers of Overusing Sleep Medications
(00:31:59) – Are Sleep Trackers Helpful or Harmful?
(00:35:26) – Hara Hachi Bu: The Japanese Approach to Eating Mindfully
(00:38:01) – Are Night Owls Unfairly Judged? Early Birds vs. Late Risers
(00:40:09) – Should Schools Start Later for Better Sleep?
(00:42:26) – The Matcha vs. Coffee Debate: Which Is Better for Sleep?
(00:46:04) – Jon’s Experiment: Switching Afternoon Coffee for Matcha
(00:48:09) – Matcha Kari’s New Decaf Matcha for Better Sleep
(00:48:50) – Final Thoughts & How to Improve Your Sleep Tonight
