Trickster Magazine

The night interested me long before music, as did psychology. Music was a hobby that simply took off – largely thanks to my inspiring, smart, and colorful bandmates I met already in primary school. They made my twenties unforgettable.
I committed fully to sleep medicine in 2014 while living in Berlin, although I’d already been in the field since 2006. I couldn’t shake the thought that while there are many musicians, there are very few sleep experts. That’s when I realized this was my niche.

Not entirely. I still sing and play guitar and bass at home, mostly for myself. I occasionally feel the urge to release music, but it would require real time and focus. I wouldn’t rule out an album in the future – just not electro pop.

I think it’s personal. For me, creativity peaks between 10 AM and 3 PM.
In sleep medicine, you have to stay precise and emotionally neutral. Music is the opposite – emotions are the tool. When you learn to channel them, something beautiful can happen.

Drop your phone – if you want to live longer.
Keep a consistent sleep rhythm – without it, chaos takes over.
Cut caffeine – it destroys sleep quality.
Get daylight, move your body, eat well – that’s your foundation.

Sleep duration. People think 7 hours is enough – it’s not. The average is closer to 8.5 hours. That missing 1.5 hours adds up to an entire lost night per week. And you can’t fix it in one go – recovery takes weeks.

Just one? Tough. But temperature. If it’s too cold (below 16°C) or too hot, falling asleep becomes difficult – even in perfect darkness and silence.

The paradoxical technique: lie still with your eyes open and focus on one point. Your eye muscles tire, attention shifts away from the body, and sleep follows naturally.

Massive. Around 96% of young adults and 80% of teens are affected. Screens delay sleep onset and lead straight into chronic sleep deprivation.

It’s both. A new environment can reset patterns – especially if you haven’t been sleeping well at home. There’s also a behavioral side: fewer responsibilities, more relaxation.
Biologically, fresh air and better temperature conditions support sleep. So it’s not just in your head – but your mind plays a role too.

Very much so. It started with electricity – artificial light altered our biology. Then the industrial revolution standardized when and how we sleep. We shifted from polyphasic sleep to monophasic patterns – and there’s no real going back. In the last 60 years alone, average sleep duration has dropped by 1–1.5 hours.

Try this: sleep 8 hours consistently for two weeks and observe how you feel. That’s when recovery begins. Many chronically sleep-deprived people don’t even realize something is wrong – they’re used to feeling that way. That’s the basic trick: hold a consistent rhythm long enough for sleep to recover – that’s when how you feel starts to change.

They carry a deeper meaning, for sure. During REM sleep, we process emotions at a much higher intensity. If that process happens properly at night, we’re more balanced and less reactive during the day.
You don’t need to overanalyze dreams – just experience them and move on.

“Caffeine doesn’t affect me” – it does. A lot.
Also, “7 hours is enough” – it isn’t.
And the idea that “geniuses sleep less” – that’s a hard no. Chronic lack of sleep always comes at a cost.

Absolutely. In practice, we remove all sorts of gadgets and temptations from the sleep environment completely.

Because that’s when the mind finally has space – but the prefrontal cortex is tired.
Emotional regulation drops, and everything feels amplified.

None. If your pet is bothering you, then let’s deal with it. If not, let them sleep with you. The question is: have you noticed that your pet might be affecting your sleep?

Yes, but they’re very rare – about 5% of the population. They genuinely function well on 5 hours – feeling wonderful and energetic during the day, with no tiredness or sleepiness in sight. Everyone else is usually just adapted to being tired.

Around 60% of children stop needing naps after age 3, and by age 4, most are perfectly fine without them. Yet our system still relies on outdated, non-scientific practices, which has clearly affected both children’s sleep and their behavior.
I personally think forcing people to nap is torture. We’ve long understood how sleep develops physiologically and biologically, but as a country, we still hold on to old traditions and regulations – in many ways, we’re an outdated society still living behind the Iron Curtain.

No. I’ve studied psychology for 10 years and worked in the field for a long time. As a therapist, I have empathy, calmness, and tolerance – without that, I couldn’t do my job. Every patient’s problem is valid and shouldn’t be compared to anyone else’s – especially not my own.

I had a gassy child with very difficult sleep at first. But with knowledge and structure, we worked through it successfully. She’s now a great sleeper.
Right from the start, I made one thing clear: I had to protect my own sleep. I had a strong support system, and everyone had a clear role. I always say this to moms: you have to protect your sleep in the first year. Poor sleep only creates more poor sleep.

The myth has already collapsed. The club closed its doors and people were disappointed. It wasn’t based on science – just one person’s experience. And one person’s routine isn’t a universal solution.

6 hours of work, 2 hours of movement, 4 meals, 1.5 L of water, and strong relationships.

Watching films alone when I’m off bedtime duty – happens maybe three times a month. But let’s be honest, I’m quite boring: I don’t eat or drink anything bad, I move a lot, and my sleep is very much on routine. So my real guilty pleasure might actually be karaoke at home, alone.

People would be happier, healthier, and kinder. They’d eat better, move more, stress less, and see both work and relationships differently. Work wouldn’t feel as hard, your kid would seem easier, and even your neighbors might bother you less.

Photography by Mia Tohver
Interview by Paula-Stina Tasane
Art Direction & MUAH by Elina Kuhta
Location by ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna
Outfits by Karmen Pedaru