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The Last Show with David Cooper

Want to Sleep Better?

03 Apr 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 24.121 David Cooper

We're here because your heightened awareness deserves heightened entertainment. The Last Show with David Cooper It's National Sleep Awareness Month, and we're going to tell you how to get a better sleep. April Fool's, one day late, because it's April Fool's yesterday. It's currently April the 2nd. But no matter, National Sleep Awareness Month was last month. But guess what?

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24.141 - 26.604 David Cooper

Sleep is still important. Are you getting enough of it?

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Chapter 2: What is National Sleep Awareness Month and why is it important?

26.944 - 37.817 David Cooper

What's the best way to go about getting a good night's sleep? And what happens to you when you don't sleep well? That's what we're going to discuss here with certified sleep coach Alana McGinn. Alana, welcome to the show.

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37.983 - 39.346 Alanna McGinn

Thanks for having me, David.

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39.687 - 55.182 David Cooper

So I feel like these days most people are sleep deprived, whether it's because they're doom scrolling on their phone all night, they don't plan for sleep properly, they never learned how to sleep well, they got a million things going on. The list just goes on. Are most people you talk to chronically underslept these days?

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55.448 - 71.533 Alanna McGinn

Yeah. And I do believe we are a chronically sleep deprived society. And I think a big reason why that is, is I always kind of point out all of our pillars of health, right? We have nutrition, we have physical health, we have our physical movement, we have sleep health, and we have connection. So with sleep,

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71.682 - 86.641 Alanna McGinn

When we're not making great nutritional choices, we see the foods we're putting in our mouth. We know we're not doing well with that. We know we need to make those changes, right? We know when we're not moving our bodies because... I feel personally attacked right now, by the way. Well, I mean, I do a little bit too sometimes, so don't worry about it.

87.402 - 103.95 Alanna McGinn

But we know when we're not moving our bodies and getting that. So we know we need to increase our physical exercise. For connection, I mean, listen, we know when maybe we need to be around more people. We know when maybe we're not a joy to be around, how we are being around people. The problem is, though, is that we all sleep.

104.116 - 120.538 Alanna McGinn

So we don't really necessarily feel like we need to put any extra work into our sleep health. But what we don't know is, are we getting enough sleep? Are we getting the right quality of sleep? Because that plays a huge role. And I like to say in all the pillars, sleep is kind of that foundation of all the pillars.

121.019 - 129.19 Alanna McGinn

So when we're not getting the right quality of sleep or the right quantity of sleep, we're not making great nutritional choices. We're craving more carbs and more sugars.

Chapter 3: Are most people sleep deprived in today's society?

129.35 - 142.754 Alanna McGinn

We can metabolize our food as well and digest our food as well. We're not moving our bodies because we have no energy to do that. And listen, I don't know about you, but I know when I haven't had a great night of sleep, I am not a joy to be around. So connection is off.

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142.775 - 150.39 Alanna McGinn

So sleep is important, but because we sleep, we don't really necessarily realize we need to make any big effort into bettering it.

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150.573 - 169.444 David Cooper

For me, like mental health, it all stems from having a good night's sleep. Like I start to break down. I start to get overly sensitive. The lens with which I start to see the world is bleak. And it all comes from not having that full night's sleep. I'm going to get on my soapbox here because about two and a half years ago, I started plugging in my smartphone away from my bed.

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169.605 - 170.807 David Cooper

In fact, in the other room.

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170.847 - 171.568 Alanna McGinn

I love that.

171.548 - 192.454 David Cooper

And I purchased one of those dumb alarm clocks from the 80s that goes, deet, deet, deet. My girlfriend hates it, whatever. And just not having the phone there, even not going on it, but knowing it's there, has improved my sleep. I went from someone who is basically an insomniac to now someone who sleeps well in such a short period. And people refuse to do this. They refuse to give up the phone.

192.975 - 204.435 David Cooper

It's the blue light coming from the screen. It's the distraction from whatever app you're addicted to and the dopamine release from what you're trying to scroll next, hoping the next video you watch is going to be slightly better than the one you saw before.

Chapter 4: What are the pillars of health that impact sleep?

205.237 - 210.988 David Cooper

It's such a simple thing. And I try to tell this to my friends who don't sleep well. Nobody listens to me, Alana. Nobody listens to me.

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210.968 - 229.753 Alanna McGinn

Tech is definitely the biggest sleep buster in our home for sure. But I love that you brought up the alarm clock because actually that's something that I talk about a lot when I'm talking to my clients or when I'm speaking on sleep is I always say stores still sell alarm clocks like you can buy because listen, I even use my I even use my phone as my alarm clock. So I understand that.

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229.733 - 252.265 Alanna McGinn

But it's important to set the boundaries. I am also not the sleep coach, in all honesty. That's going to tell you to not have tech in your evening hours. And here's why that is. Yes, the blue light can affect our quality of sleep that we're getting 100%. If you're listening to this and you're really struggling with sleep and you know, okay, I need to make some serious changes to my sleep health,

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252.245 - 275.89 Alanna McGinn

the best the best thing you can do is removing tech completely from your bedroom right or something similar to what you did just remove it away from your bed but most people aren't gonna do it like i'm complaining about no one listening to me most people aren't gonna do it yeah but the problem is is that i always feel so i work a lot in the midlife space i work a lot with midlife women as well and listen when you you get home from work you your chores are done dinner's

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275.87 - 295.577 Alanna McGinn

you know, cleaned up, kids are doing their thing. And then here's me telling you, you know, those evening hours that are gold that are finally yours, that you have no responsibilities, and you can do whatever you want to do. Here am I telling you, don't go on your phone, don't watch the shows, don't do all those things. And stress plays a huge part in why we're not sleeping well.

295.677 - 312.099 Alanna McGinn

And let's be honest, stress for most of us for different reasons, and maybe some of the same is at an all time high in as to why we're not sleeping well. So When I say I'm not the sleep coach that's going to tell you to remove tech, because I like to say if there's a show, what's your feel-good show?

312.379 - 316.064 David Cooper

Like what's the show just... Ah, one of those 90s sitcoms like Frasier or Seinfeld.

316.565 - 331.304 Alanna McGinn

Exactly. So if watching an episode of that at night is going to help you release your day and just lower your stress levels before bed, I'm all for it. If catching up with a friend on FaceTime that fills your bucket, like stay away from the family and friends that are going to empty that bucket, right?

331.424 - 332.386 David Cooper

Mom, are you listening?

Chapter 5: How can technology affect the quality of your sleep?

605.909 - 609.814 David Cooper

He can be a little by the book. You're not much use to me alive, but you're really no use to me dead.

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609.974 - 615.241 Alanna McGinn

I never knew you cared. Two perspectives, one mission. You guys work in the open, we work in the shadows.

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615.401 - 617.304 David Cooper

Starring Tom Ellis and Nick Gelfis.

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617.444 - 618.365 Alanna McGinn

Nice work, partner.

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619.407 - 624.814 David Cooper

CIA. New series Mondays at 10 Eastern on Global. Stream on Stack TV.

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