We sit down with Helen Sernett, founder and host of the Sleep Lists podcast, to discuss how we can improve sleep. Helen shares her journey from severe sleep struggles to creating a calming podcast designed to help listeners fall asleep through thoughtfully curated lists.

Along the way, we explore some of Helen’s most unusual lists and hear about the unique requests she receives from her audience.

[00:57] – Helen explains how she started creating lists to help herself sleep and what led to the first episode of Sleep Lists.

[03:52] – Helen discusses the role of calming, non-stimulating sounds and how her voice helps soothe anxious minds.

[09:08] – Helen shares one of her strangest lists—hundreds of shades of beige—and explains why it works to help people fall asleep.

[11:03] – Kim and Helen explore the idea of creating custom lists for children with special needs, sparking a conversation about sensory inputs and mental imagery.

[26:21] – Helen recalls a memorable (and humorous) request from a family member to create a list of Lebanese dishes, which she declined to avoid making listeners hungry.

[28:26] – Helen mentions how she’d love to collaborate with kids to create a fun, custom sleep list based on their interests—like dinosaurs or trains!

[33:25] – Helen talks about the common misconception of functioning well on little sleep and why many people are unknowingly sleep-deprived.