Founder Interviews
Be sure to check out interviews with our Founder!
Thrive Global Interview Series:
Why you should make getting a good night's sleep a major priority in your life
Jana Lacey of After Sunset: “Focus on your breath or try breathing techniques”
Getting a good night’s sleep has so many physical, emotional, and mental benefits. Yet with all of the distractions that demand our attention, going to sleep on time and getting enough rest has become extremely elusive to many of us. Why is sleep so important and how can we make it a priority?
In this interview series called “Sleep: Why You Should Make Getting A Good Night’s Sleep A Major Priority In Your Life, And How You Can Make That Happen” we are talking to medical and wellness professionals, sleep specialists, and business leaders who sell sleep accessories to share insights from their knowledge and experience about how to make getting a good night’s sleep a priority in your life.
As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Jana Lacey.
Founder, CEO and “Chief Sleep Officer” Jana Lacey founded After Sunset after struggling to find simple, comfortable and eco-friendly fabrics to aid in her beauty rest. With more than a decade tenure in the fashion industry, including ventures at Guess, Tilly’s and WGSN, Jana set forth to design breathable sleepwear to be affordable, sustainable and ecologically conscious, promoting the best sleep hygiene possible.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your backstory?
I am a California girl from Sacramento and now a SoCal native since college. I grew up with a single mom who worked endlessly to care for me alone with no help from anyone. My Dad struggled with addiction and wasn’t around much nor paid child support. I grew up in apartments with shared walls so I have been sleeping with a sound machine since I can remember as a baby. My mom worked a job that didn’t pay much since she didn’t go to college. We got by on very little and didn’t need much on a very tight budget. My mom sacrificed herself by caring for both me and my grandpa when he developed dementia on top of a full-time job. My mom is my biggest inspiration and why I am so ambitious as I hope to help take care of her.
I studied Fashion Design and Merchandising at Long Beach State with the help of financial aid and was part of an elite program called “The President’s Ambassadors.” After working in the fashion industry for over a decade, I got burnt out on the corporate fashion industry working a typical 8–5. Now I work in sales for a digital marketing agency mainly because of the flexibility and remote hours, which to me, are priceless. I was also able to launch my passion project, After Sunset sleepwear, an ecommerce brand all by myself.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this particular career path?
I have two stories that led to my motivation and inspiration to launch After Sunset! During my senior year in college, I learned what can happen to your body when you don’t rest and take care of yourself when you are sick. Although I was feeling sick and tired, I got on a plane to attend my college field trip for the fashion trade shows in Las Vegas. I finally had to listen to my body when I realized I was burning up and was not able to go to dinner that night. However, I continued to push myself and attend the day events over the next few days. When I returned to LA, I went to the ER immediately due to a 108 degree fever. I was then hospitalized for eight days due to viral meningitis as a result of overworking myself and not getting the sleep my body needed.
When I became burnt out on my corporate fashion job, I decided to travel the world and take a break, rest and enjoy life. My biggest regret was not traveling abroad in college so after a decade of work, I decided to use some savings and explore. It was the best decision I ever made and six years later, I haven’t worked a traditional corporate job.
Without taking this huge risk to leave my comfort zone, I would never be where I am today. It allowed me to not only see the world, but helped me get crystal clear on what was important to me and my life vision. Plus, traveling created an awareness of something much bigger than me- the environment and vowing to live eco-consciously and sustainably.
After traveling, I had to start over and I realized I could start my own eCommerce brand and do something meaningful in fashion that didn’t destroy the environment. That’s why all of After Sunset’s products are made in Los Angeles out of eco-friendly fabrics for a low carbon footprint. Plus, our packaging is biodegradable and made from recycled materials as well!
Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the sleep and wellness fields? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
My life experience and sociology are a big part of why I understand and value wellness so much. Experiencing a traumatic near-death experience and ironically being hospitalized for eight days showed me the importance of health and gratitude for wellness.
After working for over a decade in the fashion industry and even designing loungewear clothes at Guess all while being a yogi, I always found a void in the sleepwear space as well as fashion/ wellness. To be well and happy, sleep is absolutely essential. I have always been a bit of a high-maintenance sleeper since I can remember. I am the girl with the white noise machine, black-out curtains or best eye masks and earplugs, down comforter, soft/clean sheets, and Tempur-pedic mattress. Not to mention, I know all of the best meditation/sleep podcasts.
Aside from yoga lines, wellness is hardly associated with fashion. In fact, it’s highly opposite. Fashion is one of the biggest polluters as its fabrics include highly toxic processes. Fashion is a love-hate for me because I am creative at heart, yet I choose to live as sustainably as possible. I choose to combine my love of the environment and wellness into a sleepwear line as my contribution.
Fast-fashion sleepwear often isn’t sustainable, breathable, and pills after the first wash! Most commercial sleepwear is made from synthetic materials like polyester and spandex meaning they’re derived from oil. This means when you wash these fabrics, synthetic fibers release microplastics that pollute our sea, animals and end up in our food chain. Plus, it makes you hot and uncomfortable when sleeping. Not only do I use natural fabrics — Cotton and Tencel, but each style is associated with intentions. Most women are sleep-deprived, even though they get 6–8 hours a night. Even if we can increase the average length of sleep by 15 minutes, we can dramatically increase mental health and make the world a happier place.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Invisible Warfare by Mona Miller. I learned about this book from a yoga teacher of mine during a workshop. We did one of the exercises in the book and it was a powerful lesson of processing fears, releasing, forgiving, and letting go. The book is more of a working book with practices at the end of each chapter. It was a lot of work and I can’t say that I did all of them, but it was instrumental in helping me process and deal with past traumas.
I found myself reading the book before bed and that’s when I became very intentional at bedtime. I thought it was a great time to create a ritual, to reflect on gratitude, and to set intentions and let go — which is why I incorporated sleepwear into a bedtime ritual. What better time to get clear on intentions and practice gratitude before bed or when you wake up to start your day?
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“The way you perceive everything affects who you are. Everything, therefore it is a reflection of.”
Again, I believe in manifesting the life you want, but doing the inner work to get there. I believe in trusting the timing of our lives, that everything happens when it’s meant to be, after you do the work. Processing feelings, beliefs, and past experiences will free us from judgment and help us to accept who we are along with our imperfections. Fashion can have such a negative connotation and I vow to make it meaningful and have a purpose.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Let’s start with the basics. How much sleep should an adult get? Is there a difference between people who are young, middle-aged, or elderly?
This is the golden question which can be quite debatable. It’s said you need less sleep the older you get, however I believe the recommended range is 7–9 hours for young adults to the elderly. Sleep is so important and we make excuses not to sleep. As a middle-aged adult myself, I prefer 8–9 hours of sleep. Again, better sleep means happiness, less irritability, and making better choices for yourself, others, and the environment. Your body and brain need time to recover and regenerate.
Is the amount of hours the main criteria, or the time that you go to bed? For example, if there was a hypothetical choice between getting to bed at 10PM and getting up at 4AM, for a total of 6 hours, or going to bed at 2AM and getting up at 10AM for a total of 8 hours, is one a better choice for your health? Can you explain?
I would say the longer sleep, such as eight hours is ideal, six hours is hardly enough, and seven is the bare minimum. Your sleep cycles could also depend on whether you are a morning person or a night person. We all have internal clocks that our body adjusts to. As a night owl myself, I would personally choose the longer sleep option.
As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for our readers. Let’s imagine a hypothetical 35 year old adult who was not getting enough sleep. After working diligently at it for 6 months he or she began to sleep well and got the requisite hours of sleep. How will this person’s life improve? Can you help articulate some of the benefits this person will see after starting to get enough sleep? Can you explain?
Sleep allows us to be the absolute best versions of ourselves both physically and mentally. I believe someone would be happier, less reactive or irritated, have the energy to stay fit and active, which in turn would make them healthier, physically and mentally. The benefits are priceless when it comes to health and happiness. It means happier people who make better choices. Choices that go beyond getting through another sleepy day, but mindful choices to be kind to people and the environment. It’s a positive cycle that keeps going.
Many things provide benefits but they aren’t necessarily a priority. Should we make getting a good night’s sleep a major priority in our life? Can you explain what you mean?
Prioritizing sleep is prioritizing health — much like going to the gym every day. It’s shocking to me that there is not more flexibility in the workplace when it comes to standard 8–5 jobs. If for some reason, I can’t sleep, I get so anxious about not sleeping and having to be in the office at 8 am. How are we supposed to do our job when we have a lack of sleep? It contributes to mental wellness, obesity, happiness, decision-making, productivity, memory, aging, disease and chronic illnesses, depression and endless benefits.
The truth is that most of us know that it’s important to get better sleep. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives? How should we remove those obstacles?
The biggest blockage to getting better sleep is work and the stigma as an American to work, work, work. We may be looked down upon for sleeping in or not prioritizing work. Next, sleeping time can be limited when caring for babies and family. We like to do it all, but it’s okay to ask for help and surround yourself with a positive support system and aid if needed. Finally, our smartphones are one of the biggest distractions to sleep. We need to learn to put our phones down, stop scrolling on social media and create some boundaries. Worst case, we need a blue light blocker on our phones, an app, or a screen protector.
Do you think getting “good sleep” is more difficult today than it was in the past?
Absolutely, because in the past we didn’t have smartphones. Now, it’s so easy to mindlessly scroll through our phones before bed, checking messages, emails, Slack, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and on and on. There are so many distractions on our phones along with the blue light that keeps you up.
Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share “5 things you need to know to get the sleep you need and wake up refreshed and energized”? If you can, kindly share a story or example for each.
No caffeine 7–8 hours before bed. This means you need to skip that afternoon latte to get to bed by 10!
No physical exercise 2 hours before bedtime. It’s important to wind down and set the mood for bedtime.
Maintaining a dark bedroom and blocking out all light and using an eye mask if needed. This also includes using soft light before bedtime and no blue light from your phone or computer.
Having a quiet bedroom. I like to use a sound machine with white noise that blocks out any noise from the neighbors and street.
A cool temperature. I like to sleep with a fan on or AC so that I can keep my comforter on me. It’s not weighted, but a down comforter makes me feel tucked in and safe. Also, I am particular about what I sleep in, something made from natural fabrics that’s breathable like our After Sunset Sleep Dress or Tee.
What would you advise someone who wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep?
Focus on your breath or try breathing techniques. Take a deep breath and inhale lavender oil. I like to inhale for five seconds, hold for three seconds, exhale for five seconds, hold for three seconds, repeat. I keep lavender oil by my bed to help me breathe deeply and relax.
I also recommend reading a book or listening to a relaxing podcast. Try a sleep meditation one! I struggle with mediation alone so I often read a book until I am sleepy or my eyes are shutting. My favorite all-time podcast is Meditation Oasis. The host has the most relaxing voice and an episode on every topic. My favorite episode is ‘relax into sleep guided meditation’ or ‘deep rest guided meditation.’
Also, as the saying goes — count sheep if you can’t get to bed! Count or count backward from 9999. It’s a challenge to really think of the numbers and almost becomes a meditation.
What are your thoughts about taking a nap during the day? Is that a good idea, or can it affect the ability to sleep well at night?
Some days I need a power nap and can’t keep my eyes open. I prefer a short rest/nap, especially if it’s the weekend and I have a long night ahead of me. If I am going to bed at a decent time, I prefer to save my sleep at night. It’s best to listen to your body.
Wonderful. We are nearly done. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
Oprah is the ultimate inspiration. She is someone who has faced adversity and become an absolute powerhouse for all of the right reasons. I have always admired her for her compassion, connecting to people, helping others, and changing lives.
I’d also love to meet Sheryl Sandberg. We need more women like Sheryl. I love her quote, “I want every little girl who’s told she’s bossy to be told instead that she has leadership skills.” I was that little girl. The book “Lean In” was also influential in my life. I am so impressed with her role at Facebook, philanthropy, and her dedication to helping and inspiring young women like myself.
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