Insomnia Project | Calm Conversations to Help You Sleep

Rivers, Blue Herons & Lou Diamond Phillips | Sleep Podcast
In this sleep podcast episode of The Insomnia Project, Amanda and Marco settle into a slow, meandering conversation designed to help you relax and fall asleep. If your thoughts tend to wander like a slow river at bedtime, you're in good company.
In this episode:
To kick off Season 12, Amanda and Marco talk about rivers around the world: the Saint John, the Thames, the Seine, the Po, the St. Lawrence and the mighty Murray. They also cover blue herons, the Merlin bird ID app, the Canada goose, the beaver as a symbol of Canada, and why Lou Diamond Phillips is such a great actor. It's a gentle, meandering conversation for anyone looking to relax, unwind, and fall asleep.
How the conversation meanders
Season 12 begins the way the best Insomnia Project episodes do: slowly, and slightly off course. After a long break, Amanda and Marco welcome you to… Season 13. (It's Season 12. The break may have been a little too long.)
From there, the conversation follows the water. They wander from the Saint John River to the Thames, the Seine and the Po, then back to the St. Lawrence before heading all the way to the mighty Murray. From the water's edge it's a short hop to birds. Amanda shares the story of a blue heron she spotted and how she uses the Merlin app, and Marco turns to two Canadian icons, the Canada goose and the beaver, a symbol of the nation. And then, somehow, Lou Diamond Phillips. Amanda tells a story about him, and the two of them happily gush about what a great actor he is. Nothing urgent, nothing to keep track of.
What we talk about
A slow wander along famous rivers, from the Thames and the Seine to the Po
Canada's Saint John and St. Lawrence rivers
The mighty Murray
Amanda's blue heron sighting
Identifying birds with the Merlin app
The Canada goose, and the beaver as a symbol of Canada
Amanda's Lou Diamond Phillips story
Why Lou Diamond Phillips is such a great actor
Mentioned in this episode
Saint John River
River Thames
Seine
Po River
St. Lawrence River
Murray River
Blue heron
Merlin Bird ID app
Canada goose
Beaver
Lou Diamond Phillips
Keep wandering
Rainy Days, Lazy Rivers & Bird Talk [link]
Sleep Podcast: Birdsong, Bird Photography & Buying a Tilley Hat with Nima Kharrazi [link]
Drama School Confessions: Bunnies, Shepherds & Bad Memorization Habits
Listen / Subscribe
Enjoying The Insomnia Project? Follow or subscribe wherever you listen, and if we've helped you fall asleep, a rating or review helps other restless minds find their way here.
About The Insomnia Project
The Insomnia Project is a sleep podcast where nothing happens… so you can listen and sleep. Hosted by Amanda Barker and Marco Timpano, each weekly episode is a slow, meandering conversation about the ordinary things that make life interesting—from nostalgia, everyday rituals and forgotten memories to places, people, pop culture and the little curiosities we usually overlook. There's no plot to follow, no need to concentrate, and nothing you need to remember. Just a cozy conversation designed to help you relax, unwind, and drift off to sleep.
theinsomniaproject.com · A Half the Sea Podcasts production.
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🌧️ Rainy Days, Lazy Rivers & Bird Talk | The Insomnia Project (Season 5 Repeat)
The Insomnia Project is a relaxing sleep podcast made for anyone who needs help drifting off — whether you're battling insomnia, winding down after a long day, or just looking for a calm, low-stakes conversation to relax to. This episode is a Season 5 repeat, pulled from the archive while we're on a short hiatus, and it feels like the perfect one to bring back: it's raining outside as we post this, and this episode was born from exactly that kind of gentle, pitter-patter afternoon.
Marco and Amanda let the rain set the pace, easing into a meandering chat that starts with a lazy river trip — all slow floats and peaceful, unhurried water — before drifting somewhere neither of them expected: a friendly debate about birds. Blue herons, flamingos, and kingfishers all get their moment as Marco and Amanda swap opinions and observations, wandering further and further from where the conversation started, the way it always does on this show.
Perfect for anyone who wants a soothing, mundane conversation podcast to fall asleep to, work quietly alongside, or just decompress with.
What we talk about:

The calming sound of rain as the backdrop for the episode
A recent lazy river trip and the joy of slow, aimless floating
An unplanned deep dive into bird opinions
Blue herons, flamingos, and kingfishers
The natural, drifting way the conversation moves from water to wildlife
Why low-stakes chatter is the whole point of this show
This episode is perfect for:

Falling asleep to a soft, rainy-day conversation
Listening while you work and need something gentle in the background
Relaxing during an actual rainy afternoon
Anyone who enjoys easygoing, tangent-friendly conversation
Bird lovers or casual wildlife appreciators who enjoy a lighthearted debate
The Insomnia Project is built for mundane, meandering conversation that helps quiet a busy mind. Follow along loosely, or let the voices fade into the background — and if you fall asleep before the end, that's the highest compliment you can pay us. 🌙🌧️
If you enjoyed this rainy-day repeat, we'd love it if you left a rating or review — it helps more people find their way to a good night's sleep.
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Looking for a relaxing sleep podcast with calm conversation to help you unwind or drift toward sleep? We're currently on hiatus, but with the recent passing of the legendary Dolly Parton, we wanted to re-air this gentle, appreciative conversation about her life and legacy — not with sadness, but with gratitude for everything she gave us. In this episode of The Insomnia Project, Marco welcomes special guest Shannon McDonough, a devoted Dolly fan, for a warm look back at a true icon.
Dolly once said, "Find out who you are and do it on purpose," and that spirit runs through this whole conversation. Marco and Shannon share stories, reflections, and favourite moments connected to Dolly's remarkable career, exploring what made her such a beloved figure in music and popular culture. Along the way, they also discover a few things they have in common — from their shared enjoyment of medical dramas to Christmas plays — the discussion meanders through the kinds of small, curious topics that listeners of The Insomnia Project have come to love. As Dolly herself put it, "Leave something good in every day," and this episode was full of that kind of good.
Even with such a bright star as the topic, the conversation remains calm, cozy, and pleasantly low-stakes — perfect for listeners looking for a sleep podcast, relaxing background conversation, or a gentle way to remember someone whose kindness reached everyone.
What we talk about:

Dolly Parton's career and cultural impact
Favourite Dolly memories and moments
What made Dolly so universally beloved
Shared love of medical dramas
Christmas plays and nostalgic small-topic tangents
The kind of quiet gratitude that comes with remembering someone great
This episode is perfect for: Dolly Parton fans, sleep podcast listeners, relaxing background conversation, calm bedtime routines, gentle wind-down conversation, tribute episodes, cozy nostalgic chats
And if you don't make it to the end because you fall asleep, well… you've paid us the biggest compliment. 🌙 We think Dolly — who never took herself too seriously — would appreciate that.
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." Thank you, Dolly, for everything.
If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app so more listeners can discover The Insomnia Project.
Host: Marco Timpano
Special Guest: Shannon McDonough
Producers: Half The Sea Podcasts
Theme Music: Royalty Free
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#sleeppodcast #insomniapodcast #relaxingpodcast #sleepconversation #calmpodcast #bedtimepodcast #fallasleepfast #DollyParton 🌙
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The Insomnia Project is the sleep podcast made for the moments between wide awake and drifting off. If you're here to relax, unwind, and finally fall asleep, you've found your people. This episode closes out season 11 with a conversation that's easy, warm, and just a little indulgent, perfect for a slow wind down before bed.
Marco and Amanda start with cappuccinos and somehow end up in Disney territory, tracing the strange and cozy overlap between the two. The chat wanders the way it always does, from foam and espresso to theme parks and childhood favourites, landing on Amanda's soft spot for Epcot and everything it holds for her. It's the kind of meandering, low stakes talk that's easy to fall asleep to, whether or not you're following every turn.
Perfect for anyone who wants a familiar voice in the background, whether you're settling in for sleep or just moving through your day.
What we talk about:

Cappuccinos and the ritual of a good one
How Disney found its way into the conversation
Amanda's love for Epcot
Wrapping up season 11
Comfort, nostalgia, and the small things we love
What makes a companion podcast different from a sleep story
This episode is perfect for:

Falling asleep to calm, familiar voices
Insomnia and restless nights that need something gentle
Coffee lovers who like a slow, meandering chat
Disney fans who love reminiscing about the parks
Anyone who wants company during daily tasks, not just at bedtime
The Insomnia Project has been helping people relax, unwind, and fall asleep since 2015. Whether you're dealing with insomnia, need a bedtime podcast to fall asleep to, or just want a mundane, calming conversation to keep you company, we're here for it, season after season.
If this episode helped you drift off or just get through your day, leave us a rating and review. It helps other night owls and daily companions find the show.
📸 Follow us on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/theinsomniaproject
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube:
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www.patreon.com/theinsomniaproject
😴 Enjoy ad-free episodes and extras on Supercast:
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Welcome back to The Insomnia Project, the sleep podcast made for anyone who's ever stared at the ceiling at 2am wishing someone would just talk them to sleep. If you're here to fall asleep, relax, or quiet a racing mind after a long day, you're in exactly the right place — Amanda and Marco are back with the penultimate episode of the season, and it's a slow, cozy one.
This time the conversation starts small: what a perfect rainy day weekend actually looks like, and whether it's better spent doing absolutely nothing or puttering around the house. From there it drifts, as these things do, into dream boats — what kind they'd buy if money and moorage fees were no object — which somehow spirals into a full oral history of "jumping the shark," Fonzie, water skis, and the two of them earnestly debating whether this very episode might be the one where the podcast jumps the shark. It's meandering, a little silly, and exactly the kind of low-stakes tangent that's perfect for winding down.
Whether you're drifting off tonight or just need something gentle in the background, this one's for you.
What we talk about:

The ideal rainy day weekend — plans vs. no plans
Dream boats and the fantasy of owning one
The origin of "jumping the shark" and the Fonzie episode that started it all
Whether a 26-minute sleep podcast can, in fact, jump the shark
Season wrap-up energy as we approach the finale
Comfort in repetition and low-stakes nostalgia talk
This episode is perfect for:

Falling asleep to a calm, familiar conversation
Rainy day listening, fittingly enough
Fans of nostalgic pop culture tangents
Anyone who needs a mundane, meandering distraction from a racing mind
Long-time listeners riding out the season with us
As always, The Insomnia Project is here for the nights when your brain won't quiet down — mundane conversation, gentle pacing, and nothing you need to remember in the morning. New episodes drop regularly, so if this helped you drift off, come back for more.
If you enjoyed tonight's ramble, a quick rating or review helps other insomniacs find us — thanks for falling asleep with us.
📸 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.