Brandi Cyrus says she's 'very strategic about my sleep': 'I have to have 8 hours'

The Unwind is Yahoo Life’s well-being series in which experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and mental health, from self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.

Despite Brandi Cyrus’s booked and busy status, the DJ, podcast host and actress will always make time for two activities: riding horses and sleeping. When it comes to the latter, she counts her mother, Tish Cyrus, as her biggest inspiration to accept nothing less than eight hours per night.

“One of my biggest musts about self-care is sleep. My mom is the same, only she demands more hours than me. I have to have eight hours of sleep. I don't care what else is going on,” she tells Yahoo Life over a phone call. “I'm very strategic about my sleep."

Cyrus adds that her mom Tish's own nine- to 10-hour sleep regimen and no alcohol policy is a fountain of youth for the family matriarch.

"And my mom, who I'm sure you've seen a photo of, looks 35. She doesn't eat healthy and hasn’t exercised regularly until recently,” she shares.

Sleep habits aside, Cyrus also finds joy as a competitive equestrian with the credentials to match. She began riding before the age of 10 and currently her horse Starpower, affectionately known on Instagram as Star, is the twinkle in the multi-hyphenated entertainer’s eye. With one peruse of Cyrus’s socials, it’s evident the striking white mare, with its jet-black mane plays a major role in her life.

“It's always been important for me to keep horses in my life,” says the Nashville native, who grew up trail riding in the Cyrus family’s backyard. In her 20s, she took a brief hiatus from riding, but ultimately found herself back on the saddle and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

“Now that I've come back to it and compete, it's not the ribbons that I'm after or about winning money. It truly is just spiritually what I need to remain centered in such a chaotic world and in such a chaotic life,” she says.

Chaotic indeed. The famous daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus and big sis to singer Miley Cyrus is a pro at juggling numerous projects. She is currently the co-host of not one but two podcasts. On Your Favorite Thing, she and co-host Wells Adams share their most-loved (and occasionally, least-loved) things. The podcast launched in August of 2017, drawing audiences in with its unfiltered, yet lighthearted stance on a number of topics.

“Wells and I became friends when he lived here in Nashville and we met just before he was going on The Bachelorette,” recalls Cyrus. “Wells worked in radio for years and he and I were talking about bringing me on to his radio show.” Those discussions slowly transformed into brainstorming sessions for a podcast. But before Adams could launch the show, he had another obligation. “He was like, ‘Let me go on ‘this dating show,’ and when I come back, it'll be a great time to launch it,” says Cyrus. That “dating show” was season 12 of the hit series.

Cyrus is quick to share that Adams leads much of the podcast production and all she has to do is “show up.” This is not the case, however, with her second podcast, Sorry We’re Stoned, co-hosted by Mama Tish (a.k.a. MT). Here listeners are brought into the Cyrus family universe through funny stories along with a smattering of pop culture and current events. Listeners come for the topics, but stay for the cheeky mother-daughter chemistry.

“My mom and I are best friends. Getting to do something together that we can call work is always super-fun," she says.

As the name suggests, there is talk of cannabis, but this mainly comes from Tish, who was introduced to the medicinal powers of the leafy plant later in life. As for Brandi, being “stoned” is more of an abstract notion than a literal one. An old fashioned by the fire is more her speed.

Cyrus delving into the podcast space is no surprise. It’s clear that she thrives in spaces where there is a direct line to her fans. Case in point: her DJ career, which is what often keeps her busy. From fashion parties to major openings around the U.S. to international music festivals, the self-taught creative’s foray into the medium has paid off.

“When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I would take jobs and just throw myself into it and kind of learn as I went. It was scary!” she says. “With my career, every time I've done something that I was afraid to do or felt I was unqualified for, I've always been so grateful and thankful that I did it.”

Now, Cyrus is excited about a number of events coming up in Nashville and Vegas, as well as a major end-of-year bash in Miami with her sister Miley.

Somewhere between chatting about future DJ gigs, podcasting and horses, the 35-year-old entertainer got on the topic of purpose. Has Cyrus — whose quiet confidence reveals itself through her ability to successfully dive into projects — found her purpose?

“I think having a hobby as an adult — something that doesn't make you money, something that you're not doing for another person or because you feel obligated, but it brings you joy and, and that is why you do it — is so important,” Cyrus says.

“I've had to discover a way to find purpose in every day without it depending on what I do for work or depending on how much money I'm making. If we're not busy, we feel bad about it. If you can remove that [mindset] and really figure out what gets you up every morning, you’ll find purpose. And I think having just one thing that you do just with pure joy of doing it is probably what you'll find is the most important purpose that you’ll ever have.”

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