REVIEW:
It's not often that I feel like I have the perfect credentials to review anything but this show ... this show was made for me.
As a self-diagnosed chronic insomniac who hardly ever manages to go to sleep without a screen right in my face, I am the person this show was made for.
Teaming up with Headspace, the popular meditation app that has been trying to get people to use their phones to calm the hell down, Netflix has released the "Headspace Guide to Sleep" which, unlike a lot of other boring shows, actually wants to put you to sleep on purpose.
Each short animated episode features a few stats and facts about sleep followed by a guided sleep meditation.
Part documentary, part meditation session, the show debunks some interesting myths about sleep, stress and dreams and does a great job of explaining what needs to happen to your body during the day, in order for you to get a good rest at night.
When I put the first episode on and they started dishing out facts and the science behind sleep, I thought I'd for sure binge the whole thing in yet another insomniac daze. And while it, unsurprisingly, took me longer than I'd hoped, it was a much more relaxed drifting off to sleep than my usual late nights of bingeing shows until my eyes can't take it any longer.
Using TV programmes to induce relaxation is not a new thing - but it sure feels more needed than ever, as the pandemic has made us all spend a lot more time glued to our screens. There are entire TV channels around the world that show nothing but fish quietly swimming in the ocean and whatever other soothing images can calm our anxious brains.
While the show might not put you to sleep completely, it's a whole lot more relaxing than the reality TV series where everyone is screaming at each other and it's definitely healthier for your sleep than true crime documentaries. And if, like me, you're trying and failing to phase out the need for screens before sleep, this might just be the perfect transition, combining what you want to be doing with what you should be doing before bed.
It's "Netflix and chill", except actual, literal chill.
The first season of the "Headspace Guide to Sleep" is streaming now on Netflix.
