Sleep Podcast: Placeholders, Costumes & the Movies That Raised Us | The Insomnia Project

There's something quietly reassuring about the things in life that hold space — the cardboard in a new pair of shoes, the familiar rituals of childhood, the movies you knew by heart before you understood why you loved them. Tonight, Marco and Amanda wander through all of it, gently.

It's the kind of conversation that starts with something small and ordinary, and somehow finds its way to something warm. The talk meanders through placeholders we encounter every day — those temporary stand-ins we never quite think about — and drifts into the sweet world of dance costumes and the surprising joy of watching synchronized swimming for the first time. By the end, they're revisiting the films they watched over and over as kids, the ones that felt like home.

Whether you're a nostalgic soul who still has a soft spot for childhood rituals, or just someone who needs something unhurried and gentle to ease into sleep, this one is for you.

What we talk about:

• Placeholders in everyday life — from the cardboard stuffed inside new shoes to the small fillers we barely notice
• Costumes and where Amanda's mom used to source hers for her dance recitals
• A synchronized swimming recital they had the chance to attend — and how surprisingly enjoyable it turned out to be
• The movies they watched on repeat as kids, and what made those films feel like comfort

This episode is perfect for:

• Anyone who loves slow, memory-filled conversation
• Listeners who find comfort in the ordinary and overlooked
• People who grew up with a favourite movie they could recite from start to finish
• Those who need something warm and easy to drift off to

Whether you've got insomnia, a restless mind, or you're just winding down after a long day, this is your invitation to slow down. No agenda. No pressure. Just Marco and Amanda, talking the way old friends do.

New episodes drop weekly. If The Insomnia Project helps you sleep, share it with someone who needs a quiet place to land. 🌙

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In This Episode: Candles, Cork & Linen | The Insomnia Project

Amanda and Marco are back with another slow, wandering conversation — the kind that asks nothing of you and gives your mind just enough to follow without holding on. This week, they drift through the quiet textures of everyday life: pickled wood, the soft weight of linen, the springy underfoot feeling of cork, and the amber glow of a handmade candle. It's the kind of sleep podcast episode that feels like sitting in a warm room with nowhere to be.

How this one meanders

It starts with Marco's recent project pickling wood — a technique that keeps coming up on the show, and for good reason. From there, the conversation finds its way to linen: the fabric, the feel, the way it shows up in clothes and bedding and slow living. Cork enters next — floors, stoppers, the material itself — and Amanda and Marco give you their honest take on whether they're actually fans. The episode closes with candles, including Amanda's low-key satisfying project of melting down candle remnants to make something new.

The kind of show that's made for winding down. Whether you're lying in the dark or just trying to quiet a busy mind, this one has you covered.

What we talk about

• Marco's pickling wood technique and why this topic keeps finding its way back to the show
• Linen as a material — clothing, bedding, and the particular texture that makes it a slow-living staple
• Cork floors and cork in general — do Amanda and Marco actually like it? (They'll tell you)
• The sensory appeal of candles and why they work so well as a wind-down ritual
• Amanda's candle-making project using leftover wax remnants — low effort, oddly satisfying

This episode is perfect for

• Anyone who can't sleep and needs something gentle and unhurried to follow
• People who love slow living content and material textures
• Linen enthusiasts, cork-curious decorators, or anyone rethinking their home materials
• Overthinkers and people with racing thoughts who need a soft landing
• Candle lovers and anyone who enjoys a good DIY-without-pressure story

The Insomnia Project is a sleep podcast for people who lie awake at night. Hosts Amanda and Marco have quiet, unhurried conversations about everyday things — no plot twists, no tension, no agenda. Just the kind of talk that helps your body remember it's allowed to rest. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe wherever you listen.

📸 Follow us on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/theinsomniaproject

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@theinsomniaprojectpodcast

☕ Support the show and get bonus chats on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/theinsomniaproject

😴 Enjoy ad-free episodes and extras on Supercast:

www.theinsomniaproject.supercast.com

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If your mind won't stop running tonight, we've got just the thing. In this episode of The Insomnia Project, Marco is joined by returning guest Nidhi Kanna for the kind of warm, wandering conversation that's perfect for insomnia, racing thoughts, or anyone who just needs something gentle to drift off to. No stress, no stakes — just the good stuff.

They start where all great conversations start: staring at a wall. Specifically, painting one. Nidhi and Marco get wonderfully sidetracked on the surprisingly fraught world of colours that are easy to commit to and hard to undo — the kind of paint decisions that haunt you in the best possible way.

From there, the conversation meanders the way only a sleepcast can — from wall colours to Nidhi's recent trip to Mexico City, taking in the food, the texture of the place, and the very particular pleasure of being somewhere new. And then, naturally, they find their way to the finer things: Nidhi's bougie delights, Marco's bougie delights, and what it really means to treat yourself well.

It's the perfect listen for a slow Sunday morning, a Monday morning at work when you want to focus but need a friend nearby, or a Tuesday night that won't wind down, or anyone who loves a good chat about nothing and everything all at once.

📸 Follow us on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/theinsomniaproject

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@theinsomniaprojectpodcast

☕ Support the show and get bonus chats on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/theinsomniaproject

😴 Enjoy ad-free episodes and extras on Supercast:

www.theinsomniaproject.supercast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.