Lauren Jackson - Talking sport, life and her struggles with sleep

We caught up with our newest Sleep Ambassador Lauren Jackson about her life before and after basketball and why getting a good night's sleep has not always been easy for her. Get to know more about her in our interview below.

RESMED: We know you as arguably Australia's best basketballer ever, but can you tell us some of the other things you do away from the game?

LAUREN: Well, I’m a mum. I do a little part-time study, and I am the Head of Women in Basketball at Basketball Australia. I love to put on some music and cook on the weekends for my family, and I love the very rare moments when I get to just be quiet with my boys and sit and cuddle them. Those moments are so precious.

RESMED: What's a typical morning for you?

LAUREN: A typical day for me is a wake up between 5:30 and 6 am to take care of my youngest son. I get showered, dressed and ready, then get the kids dressed and sorted for preschool and day-care. I get them to day-care between 7:30 and 8:30, and then I’m straight into the office to work all day. I then get the kids home around 4 pm, get them showered and fed – and normally have them both in bed around 7:30. I may go to bed then also or do a little work if I have some and just take the time to catch up.

RESMED: In addition to training and nutrition, how important was sleep to your success on the court?

LAUREN: Sleep was vital for me when I was an athlete, and unfortunately that is one area in my person that I couldn’t master. I dealt with a range of injuries during my career, but I also dealt with a level of anxiety especially when I was overseas. I’m arthritic in a lot of my joints so managing the ache during the night is a big part of my sleep health.

RESMED: When did you first recognise you weren't sleeping as well as you like?

LAUREN: Years ago – going on 20 years ago I would say. I thought it was just normal and I wasn’t educated enough to ask someone to get help. I often used sleep medication or alcohol (a glass or two of wine) to try to make me drowsy. If that didn’t work, I would be up watching TV all night. When I was an athlete, I was worried about the next practise or the next game – about my performance. I was worried about everything that could affect my performance on the court. Now, I worry about my kids and getting their lunches together – worried about their futures, their behaviours, my parenting.

RESMED: How did you find out about ResMed?

LAUREN: I have always had trouble sleeping. It’s exaggerated now with the kids as they both end up in my bed during the night. I had heard of ResMed CPAP therapy and also with the use of respirators once Covid hit, so I knew of the great work that was being done. I was just intrigued to see if I could benefit from a sleep professional to help me along the way. It’s also been good to talk about my issues and hear that other people have the same problems.

RESMED: Have the discussions with our sleep coaches or any of our products helped?

LAUREN: Learning different techniques and trying to integrate some of these into my sleep routine is an exciting new journey and really helping me. I use the Dodow now and have taken advice from my first sleep coach around routine – not using screens, etc. The weighted blanket is amazing for short naps (if I ever get the time), but I find after an hour or so my joints start aching underneath it as I am quite arthritic from my playing days so that is a bit of a problem for me also. I love the tea at night time and mist and essential oils.

RESMED: What are the most significant improvements you see in yourself when you get a good night's rest?

LAUREN: My energy levels are much higher, my mood is better, and I just have feeling of general wellbeing, whereas when. I don’t have a good sleep, come 4 pm when my kids get home, I am exhausted and I am dreaming of bed. I want to be able to spend those hours present with my kids, that’s why it’s crucial for me to get the rest I need.

RESMED: Where do you see your Sleep Ambassadorship and sleep health journey taking you?

LAUREN: I’m just really excited about this journey with ResMed, and I’m proud to be part of their extended family now.