Sleeping Well – Podcast
Adventist HealthQuality sleep is at the foundation of good health. But the fast paced world we live in, and physical factors, can keep real rest out of reach. We're teaming up with experts from Adventist Health's Sleep disorders center to explore the biological and psychological processes that affect our sleep and how we can use them to our advantage.
Hosts
CJ Anderson, Adventist Health
Vanessa Peterson, MD
Rocky Garrison, PhD, CBSM
Join us for an upcoming presentation at Adventist Medical Center on Sleeping Well Again.
1:40 - Diagnostic criteria for Insomnia.
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Persists for at least six months. Daytime impairments related to sleep problems.
- Has to happen even when you provide adequate environment and opportunity for sleep.
2:55 - Other sleep disorders often mistaken for Insomnia.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea information
Restless Leg Syndrome
4:40 – Different Sleep Cycles or Schedules
6:50 - Alerting signal. How our body tells us it's time to sleep. Often this also results in a burst of energy just before bed.
8:20 - Sleep drive or sleep homeostat. The longer you are awake the more you will want or need to sleep. Ideally you want to feel a great need to sleep at the same time your circadian rhythm (alerting signal) tells you it's time to go to bed. When they're out of rhythm it's harder to fall asleep, stay asleep and the sleep is less restorative.
10:00 - What is the recommended amount of sleep? It's personal to you. The average is 7-9 hours. You’ll need to finding the right number for you.
12:10 - The Three P's of Insomnia
- Pre-Clinical level of sleep need - Your normal routine
- Precipitating event - A stressor
- Perpetuating behavior - Behaviors or crutches used to get by. These actually continue to disrupt your normal sleep routine and needs.
14:32 - Light tells your brain and body when to wake up. How we control the amount of light in our environment can have a big effect on our ability to fall asleep or wake up. Screens tell our brain "The sun is still out."
17:00 - Using light to your advantage. Regular light exposure. Get 20 minutes of light exposure (ideally outside) right when you wake up. Doing this consistently will tell your body "This is wake up time" and your body will naturally get tired at the time needed to fully recharge before that time. Make sure to spend time outside throughout the day.
19:45 - Sleep efficiency. Making the most out of the time you're spending in bed. Having a routine and biological programming that allows us to fall asleep quickly when we get in bed and achieve deep, restorative sleep and waking up at refreshed at a consistent time. This is a slow process that takes weeks (or months) to develop.
26:50 - Social Jetlag - As little as two hours of difference between weekday and weekend sleep schedules is enough to cause noticeable sleep disruption. One of the ways you're most likely to notice it is weight gain.
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