1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Hey fam, Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 2: It's well on this Wednesday, and we have sleep scientists, 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 2: doctor Rebecca Robbins here to help us enhance our sleep quality, 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: which ultimately means improving our overall health and well being. 5 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 2: She's revealing the best time to go to bed and 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: whether it's possible to catch up on sleep after a 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: late night. It's Wednesday, July twenty fourth. I'm Danielle Robe. 8 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 3: And I'm Simone Boyce and this is the bright Side 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 3: from Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together 10 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 3: to share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day. 11 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: Simone talking about a bright day, I have to tell 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: you the only way I have a bright day is 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: when I sleep well. 14 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 3: Are you a good sleeper. I'm a legendary sleeper. I 15 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 3: grew a reputation in college for being the girl that 16 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 3: could fall asleep anywhere. Like I could fall asleep in 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 3: the middle of a party and wasn't. I wasn't like 18 00:00:58,080 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 3: drunk or anything. 19 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: I just want what do you mean sitting on a couch? 20 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, totally. I fall asleep in movie theaters, Broadway shows, 21 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 3: and I'm a voracious consumer of pop culture. But I 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 3: will fall asleep if the environment is right at the 23 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 3: temperatures right, the pillows are soft. Yeah, I can fall 24 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 3: asleep anywhere. How about you. 25 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,839 Speaker 2: It sounds like you and I could win an Olympic 26 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: gold medal in sleeping. I'm wondering if we can institute 27 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: it as a sport. 28 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 3: Sleeping would be a great sport. 29 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: Honestly, if I don't get a good night's sleep, I 30 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: feel it in every single way possible. I crave sugar, 31 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 2: even caffeine doesn't help. I get headaches. I know that 32 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: I'm not going to have great ideas or be creative 33 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: like my grammars off in emails. From the little things 34 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: to the big things. It affects my whole life. 35 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 3: To be honest, I know the importance of a good 36 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 3: night's sleep, like I know that this is essential for us. However, 37 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 3: I have just had to push through a lot of times, 38 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: pushing through a work schedules, working early hours as a reporter, 39 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: or being a mom of two under two. Like, the 40 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 3: reality is, there are sometimes when I just haven't been 41 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: able to get in a good sleep pattern, and I 42 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 3: find myself just surviving. So I want to learn some 43 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 3: tips and some science based information to really get the 44 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 3: most out of my sleep, which is why I am 45 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 3: so excited to chat with our guests today doctor Rebecca Robbins, 46 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 3: who is a professor researcher who anchors her sleep research 47 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 3: in the science of circadian rhythms. 48 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: I actually quit a job one time because of my 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 2: circadian rhythm. You and I both know what it's like 50 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 2: to wake up in the middle of the night for work, 51 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: so that's when I learned about it. A circadian rhythm 52 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: is basically the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow 53 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: our twenty four hour cycle. 54 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: So TLDR, it's our internal clock. 55 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, And a big part of understanding that internal clock 56 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 3: has to do with chronotypes. So a chronotype is our 57 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 3: natural inclination for sleep preferences and the timing of other 58 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 3: activity throughout the day like eating, sleeping, working. And each 59 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: chronotype has an animal assigned to it. So there's the bear, 60 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: the lion, the wolf, and the dolphin. And we both 61 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 3: took the quiz. I can't wait to find out what 62 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 3: you are, Danielle. 63 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: I know same. I love a quiz. 64 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 3: This is fun me too, Okay, So here's the breakdown 65 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: of the four animals. So the bear follows the sun. 66 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: It rises with the sun, it sleeps when the sun 67 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: goes down, so pretty straightforward circadian approach. The lion is 68 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 3: a morning person. They love an early start. They also 69 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 3: love turning in early. The wolf is a night owl, 70 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 3: and the dolphin is a light or inconsistent sleeper. They're 71 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 3: always tired and they have trouble falling and staying asleep. 72 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 3: Which one are you? 73 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: I didn't even have to take this quiz to know 74 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 2: what I am. You could have just said that, and 75 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 2: I know that I am the bear. My ideal wake 76 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: up time if I don't have an alarm, is seven am. 77 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: My ideal bedtime is around eleven PM. And I feel 78 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 2: most most creative, most inspired, and energetic mid morning to 79 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: mid afternoon. 80 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: You know what's so funny about this? 81 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 4: Though? 82 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: The quiz will give you sort of characteristics that go 83 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 2: along with your behavior, and mine says likely to avoid conflict, 84 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 2: aspires to be healthy and happy, and takes comfort in 85 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: the familiar. 86 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 3: Is that true? 87 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: Oh? 88 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: My god? One hundred percent true? And I love that. 89 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 2: It also gives you other famous bears, So we have 90 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 2: Lebron James, Serena Williams, and Jennifer Lopez, who famously talks 91 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: about loving sleep. 92 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: I feel so similar to that. 93 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 3: Oh you got some good ones, you got some good 94 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: famous friends in your category. Okay, so I am actually 95 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 3: the lion chronotype, and I gotta be honest, this kind 96 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 3: of surprised me. My ideal wake up time, according to 97 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 3: this quiz is five am. My ideal bedtime is nine pm. 98 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 3: I'm an early riser who wakes up bright eyed, often 99 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: falls asleep easily. That part is definitely true. My big 100 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 3: question with the chronotypes is do they change as we 101 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 3: get older, because I feel like I've lived different chronotype 102 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 3: personalities in different seasons of my life. But as far 103 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 3: as the lion, which is apparently what I am right now, 104 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 3: I'm most productive in the early morning, overachiever, prioritize health 105 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 3: and fitness, seeks positive interactions, and is optimistic but practical. 106 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: Okay, this is so you. I don't even have to 107 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: ask you if this is you. 108 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: What I think is funny is they've all these Meyers 109 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: Briggs personality tests and we've been missing this chronotype test. 110 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: This one's it. 111 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 3: Maybe this is the one the truth teller of them all. 112 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 3: And if you want to take this quiz and find 113 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 3: out whether you're a bear, a lion, a wolf or 114 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 3: a dolphin. We're going to drop it in our show notes. 115 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: I can't wait to get into chronotypes and sleep quality 116 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 2: and so much more with doctor Rebecca Robbins. 117 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: So a little background on her. 118 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 2: She's a sleep scientist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital 119 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: in Boston and an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard 120 00:05:56,279 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: Medical School. Her research focuses on circadian health, and she's 121 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 2: been published in Sleep Health, The Washington Post as well 122 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: as The New York Times. She's also the co author 123 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: of Sleep for Success, a book on tools and techniques 124 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 2: for how to get good sleep. So after the break, 125 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 2: we're getting into chronotypes, sleep quality and all of the 126 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 2: questions about sleep that you want answers to. 127 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: We'll be back with doctor Robins. 128 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: Doctor Rebecca Robbins, Welcome to the bright Side. 129 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. 130 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 2: We're really excited to chat with you. Simone knows I 131 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: am a sleepy girl. I love sleep, I value it 132 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 2: so heavily in my life, and I'm so excited to 133 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: chat about how we can maximize the quality of our 134 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: sleep today. 135 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: What is the wildest fact you know about sleep? 136 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 4: The biggest thing that always does my mind about sleep 137 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 4: is just how rich and complex it is. I think 138 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 4: the biggest myth number one is that we fall asleep, 139 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 4: our head hits the pillow, and we enter this kind 140 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 4: of monolithic stage of sleep. But all of our evidence 141 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 4: points to the contrary that sleep is in some cases 142 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 4: a highly active process with tremendous amounts of activity in 143 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 4: the brain and the body. And then the most fascinating 144 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 4: is what happens in the brain during sleep, and in 145 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 4: certain stages of sleep, such as rapid eye movement sleep, 146 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 4: we are almost as active, if not more active in 147 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 4: terms of our brain activity than we are during our daytime, 148 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 4: which is wild. 149 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: To your point, doctor Robbins about brain function. What happens 150 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 2: to our brains and our bodies when we don't get 151 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 2: enough sleep. 152 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 4: When we're falling short of our physiological biological sleep needs, 153 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 4: so many things fall off the rails. When we're not 154 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 4: getting enough, good quality sleep, we're less able to regulate 155 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 4: our emotions. The research has shown that the kind of 156 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 4: emotional powerhouse of the brain is just more engaged when 157 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 4: we're sleep deprived as compared to well rested, So you're 158 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 4: more reactive, more likely to snap at loved ones, So 159 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 4: mood is one of the first things, but unfortunately that 160 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 4: can rear its ugly head if gone unchecked over time, 161 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 4: and for that reason, we see a strong bidirectional relationship 162 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 4: between poor sleep and mental health concerns. We also see 163 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 4: a host of benefits to our heart health from our sleep, 164 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 4: and when we're not getting enough sleep, we've shown that 165 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 4: increases our risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease because there's 166 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 4: so much activity that's going on in the brain in 167 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 4: this certain stage of sleep, and we're finding that that 168 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 4: activity has a really important implication for our ability to 169 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 4: retain memories, to take them from short term things that 170 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 4: you learn today and integrate them into longer term storage. 171 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 4: We're also more able to achieve insight that light bulb 172 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 4: going off. We see more of that after a night 173 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 4: of sleep that's allowed for enough sleep and enough rapida. 174 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: I'm of mid sleep, doctor Robbins. 175 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: A lot of your research and approach and philosophy around 176 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 3: having quality sleep comes from understanding our circadian rhythm. So 177 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 3: can you talk about the evolutionary purpose behind the circadian 178 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 3: rhythm and why that's the key to getting good sleep 179 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 3: every night? 180 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 4: Great questions about circadian It's Latin circa das or about 181 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 4: a day, and it refers to physiological processes that operate 182 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 4: in an approximate kind of twenty four hour rhythm, where 183 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 4: some cells are firing during a certain period of time 184 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 4: and then retiring or resting during other times. And it 185 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 4: turns out that almost every cell of the body does this. 186 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 4: Now that serves us from the standpoint of our evolution 187 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 4: to not have to be on all day long. The 188 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 4: strongest input to the circadian rhythm is sun light exposure 189 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 4: blue daylight spectrum light that helps our internal rhythms match 190 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 4: themselves to a twenty four hour day. So sleep is 191 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 4: one such circadian rhythm. There are times during the day 192 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 4: where we're asleep and times where we're awake. That's the 193 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 4: reason we can't keep different sleep schedules from one day 194 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 4: to the next. Some people say, oh, I fall, say 195 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 4: some nights at ten pm, the next night two am, 196 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 4: the next night eleven pm, and then nine am, because I'm. 197 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: Desperate for sleep. 198 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 4: But if you're keeping different schedules, you're limiting your internal 199 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 4: circadian rhythm's fundamental ability to know when it should be 200 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 4: tired and secreting the related sleep hooromone melatonin and when. 201 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: It should be awake. 202 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 4: And that's why one of the most important recommendations not 203 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 4: only getting enough sleep, but consistency of sleep is as important, 204 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 4: if not more than getting enough sleep. But how does 205 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 4: this work in practice? 206 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 2: Because in theory, I get it, and parents know this 207 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 2: better than anybody because they practice rituals and routines for 208 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: their children's sleep schedules. But in my adult life, I 209 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 2: don't know if my schedule allows me to go to 210 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:48,680 Speaker 2: bed at the same time every night. 211 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 4: Danielle, I fundamentally believe that you can have your cake 212 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 4: and eat it too, because if you understand that, okay, 213 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 4: consistency matters, then we could talk about your daily routine. 214 00:10:58,120 --> 00:10:59,719 Speaker 4: One of my first questions I like to ask is 215 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 4: what's the earliest wake up time? If you have a 216 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 4: six am workout class, you've hit your target wake up 217 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 4: time for the week. 218 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: And I know that staks. 219 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 4: I'm not gonna, you know, say get out of bed 220 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 4: at five am on a Sunday, but meet me halfway. 221 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 4: So if you're saying, okay, six am is the earliest 222 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 4: time that I have to get out. So the vast 223 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 4: majority of adults need between seven and nine hours, and 224 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 4: we can talk about how to find your personal sleep 225 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 4: need in a minute. If you give yourself ape, you're 226 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 4: generally setting yourself up for success. But then at another 227 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 4: thirty minutes because we need to power down and unwind 228 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 4: prepare for sleep. And so if you can do that 229 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 4: mental mouth of okay, earliest wake up time, count back 230 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 4: eight hours, maybe at a buffer of twenty minutes, and 231 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 4: then you've hit your target fall asleep time. Now that's 232 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 4: really important because I think as a society we're so 233 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 4: focused on our alarm block when we're going to wake up, 234 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 4: we sometimes lose track of our fall asleep time. And 235 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 4: let's be honest, what are we doing at night? It's 236 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 4: all you've had a long day and you're watching Netflix, 237 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 4: and suddenly you're like, what's one more episode? I might 238 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 4: be the price of a little little bit. But one of 239 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 4: the worst things kind of related to this is sleeping in. 240 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 4: Some people say, oh, I sleep in for two, three 241 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 4: four hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning, but unfortunately 242 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 4: you're throwing that internal circadian rhythm completely out of whack. 243 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 4: And being mindful of these principles allows you to say, look, 244 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 4: it's Friday night, I'm going to go out, and I'm 245 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 4: going to enjoy it. And after that fabulous night out, 246 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 4: you're going to be like, I made some great memories, 247 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 4: I had a great time, And try to get up 248 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,439 Speaker 4: as close to the normal time as possible. If you're 249 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 4: exhausted in the afternoon, take a nap and that won't 250 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 4: hinder that circadian rhythm and the fundamental kind of ability 251 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 4: to know when we're tired for a primary sleep episode. 252 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 4: Naps will help you pay back that lost sleep and 253 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 4: that sleep debt and then get you back on track 254 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 4: the next night. 255 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 2: So sleep debt is a real thing. That's not just 256 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 2: something we tell ourselves to feel better. 257 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: Sleep debt is a real thing. 258 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 4: And if your biological need for sleep is closer to 259 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 4: seven or closer to say eight hours, and then every 260 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 4: night the past week, you've been falling short of that 261 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 4: biological need. But we're all at a different place along 262 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 4: that continuum. So the best way to figure out where 263 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 4: you are is find a time, maybe it's on vacation 264 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 4: when you can kind of get back to neutral, go 265 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 4: to bed it with plenty of time, give yourself plenty 266 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 4: of time, and then after a couple of nights, if 267 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 4: you've been sleep deprived for weeks month. It's going to 268 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 4: take time to get you back to baseline. But once 269 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 4: you're there, really finding yourself in a consistent, healthy sleep routine, 270 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 4: and then if you can really answer truthfully, I feel great, 271 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 4: You've probably hit your physiological sleep need and do your 272 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 4: best to meet that night in and night out. 273 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 2: There was a study from the American Academy of Sleep 274 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 2: Medicine where they discovered that centenarians, so people that are 275 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 2: over one hundred years old or above, slept an average 276 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 2: of seven point five hours a day, including naps. And 277 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 2: I am obsessed with longevity. I'm hoping to be like 278 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 2: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and planking when I'm ninety something years old. 279 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 2: So for years I have been thinking about these centenarians, 280 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 2: and I always say this quote to myself that sleep 281 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: is the secret of superheroes, and you know, I put 282 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 2: those centenarians in the superhero category. 283 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 3: Love it. 284 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,679 Speaker 2: Aside from sleep studies, how does a person at home 285 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 2: evaluate their own sleep quality? Are there any specific markers 286 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: that we can look out for on a day to 287 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 2: day basis? 288 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: This is a really great question. 289 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 4: I think that sleep trackers that are increasingly low cost 290 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 4: and accessible are a great way to get some insight 291 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 4: into just how much did I sleep last night and 292 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 4: how was my sleep quality? And sometimes that can be surprising. 293 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 4: You can wake up and be like, I feel okay, 294 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 4: but wow, I did not get a lot of sleep. 295 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: So awareness is everything. 296 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 4: Sleep trackers can help with that, but the oldest school, 297 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 4: lowest cost method is how did you feel when you 298 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 4: woke up? Do you feel energized? The second time to 299 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 4: ask yourself that question is the afternoon, because if you 300 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 4: are sleep deprived, you're going to feel the impacts of 301 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 4: sleep deficiency the most, simply because of this midday dip 302 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 4: and alertness that we all experience, facilitated in some ways. 303 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: By media, heavy lunch, but also not getting enough sleep 304 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: the night before. 305 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 3: Doctor Robbins, there's so much information online these days about 306 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 3: sleep and how to improve the quality of your sleep. 307 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 3: So we're hoping to cut through the noise for our 308 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 3: bright side besties and bring them your expert opinion. Do 309 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 3: women need more sleep than men? 310 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: This is one of our myths. 311 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 4: There is a small difference that we see in sleep duration, 312 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 4: but this is one of our things that is sleep experts. 313 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 4: We're trying to debug because there been a couple things 314 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 4: slanging around the internet about this. 315 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: Women do not need hours more sleep than men. It's moments. 316 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 3: It's like twenty minutes, is what I read? Is that 317 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 3: is that accurate? 318 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: A little bit less? I think it's closer to seven. 319 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 3: Oh. Interesting. 320 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 4: So unfortunately, this disparity we do see in sleep between 321 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 4: gender is sleep quality. So women report far worse sleep 322 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 4: quality than do men. And that's the issue that's important 323 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 4: I think to draw attention to, because why is that 324 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 4: the case? Women typically wear two hats, one inside the 325 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 4: home and one out. Even in the most seemingly equal 326 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 4: marriage or partnership, women generally children more, childcare responsibilities of 327 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 4: household responsibilities often shouldered above and beyond professional obligations, and 328 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 4: so therefore those factors cut into the time that they 329 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 4: would be able to sleep. The other aspect is women 330 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 4: typically are managing the smaller tasks in a household of 331 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 4: scheduling doctor's appointments, calling the plumber, checking an insurance bill, 332 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 4: and those things then eat into sometimes the time that 333 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 4: we would be able to sleep, but also can increase worry, 334 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 4: worry for children, for pets, for the people for whom 335 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 4: they provide care, and not worry can really loom large 336 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 4: in terms of difficulties falling asleep and maintaining sleep as 337 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 4: compared to men. So women face a much greater risk 338 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 4: for those insomnia like symptoms doma, and that's the disparity 339 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 4: I'd love to highlight, not the duration. 340 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's great, Thank you so much for that insight. 341 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 2: How about sleep aids like melatonin, magnesium or tart cherry juice? 342 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: Are those effective at all? 343 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 4: Now? Just be wary that the store shelves are ripe 344 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 4: with products, gadgets, gizmos that offer the promise of a 345 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 4: good night's sleep, because that's the holy grail. It wouldn't 346 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 4: be so nice to take one of these and drift 347 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 4: off in the most peaceful sleep and wake up refreshed. 348 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 4: So just be mindful as a consumer that these companies 349 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 4: will often make claims it might not necessarily be backed 350 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 4: up by science, because at the end of the day, 351 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 4: the secret to getting a good night sleep is behavior change. 352 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 4: It's stuff that's not glamorous, but it's keeping a consistent 353 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 4: bedtime schedule. It's making time for safe, making time for exercise, 354 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 4: being mindful of when you're eating. One of our key 355 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 4: recommendations the Internet and fasting literature actually came out of 356 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 4: a circadian biology laboratory when that whole air area of 357 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 4: the literature talks about just restricting the time that you 358 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 4: spend eating in a typical day, and there are different 359 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 4: ways to do it. Some people try to delay breakfast 360 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 4: as long as possible and are able to start eating 361 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 4: at twelve pm and then stop eating at maybe five 362 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 4: or six pm. Other people prefer an early breakfast and 363 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 4: are fine having their last meal at four four thirty, 364 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 4: So that is one thing to try. The other recommendation 365 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 4: is trying to just not be eating in the three 366 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 4: hours before bedtime. Sometimes that's a little bit easier for people. 367 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 4: So there's a lot of individual preference within this, and 368 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 4: then also what works for you and your family. 369 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 3: On the subject of sleep aids. What are your thoughts 370 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: on edibles, because they're very popular right now. 371 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 4: There is not a lot of good equality scientific literature 372 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 4: on connabinoids. To be honest, I know they're widely used, 373 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 4: but the literature is just pretty farce on these, or 374 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 4: if there have been studies, a lot of them have 375 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 4: been sponsored by edible companies. So the bottom line is 376 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 4: we just have a lot of good science on some 377 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 4: of these components. So I will just say, you know, 378 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 4: talk to a medical provider. There is a time and 379 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 4: a place for some of these. I think in a 380 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 4: perfect world with all of this, kind of the umbrella 381 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 4: of sleep aids is thinking about these as really good 382 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 4: bound aids, things that can get you to a place 383 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 4: where then you're able to implement healthy sleep strategies, building 384 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 4: in time to relax and unwind, keeping a consistent sleep schedule. 385 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: Those types of things. 386 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:27,239 Speaker 3: I want to ask you about power naps. There's this 387 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 3: running joke in my circle of mom friends that something 388 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 3: happens when a man becomes a dad. He just automatically 389 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 3: becomes a napper. If he was an apper before, he's 390 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 3: an even more consistent napper now that he's a father. 391 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 3: So I'm really curious about if there are any gender 392 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 3: differences when it comes to capability for napping and just 393 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 3: the effectiveness of napping overall. 394 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 4: I love talking about napping, and the research really is 395 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 4: kind of awesome on dapping. Some research recently for my 396 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 4: colleagues at Harvard Medical School and MIT Road they found 397 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 4: even moments seconds in a nap can allow you to 398 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,959 Speaker 4: wake up, be refreshed, more creative, more able to achieve 399 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 4: insights and kind of solutions to problems, thinking creatively and 400 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 4: how to solve them fascinating. The bottom line, when it 401 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 4: comes to napping, if you're open to it, the afternoon 402 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 4: is the best time. 403 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: There are two strategies. 404 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 4: If you are exhausted, and I'm talking you got three 405 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 4: four hours, your new mom and new dad, I've sleeped 406 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 4: the night before, and you are wrecked and you really 407 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 4: need to recover, then the ninety minute nap is great. 408 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 4: The kind of classic Spanish siesta is wonderful. Ninety minutes 409 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 4: allows you to get enough sleep to get back to 410 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 4: mutual after a night of really poor sleep. But if 411 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 4: you're not particularly sleepy, but you're just dragging in the afternoon, 412 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 4: you're not as creative as you were in the morning. 413 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: You're underperforming. 414 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 4: You're looking at your computer screen, You're like, what have 415 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 4: I done for the last hour? Close your computer, lie down, 416 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 4: and set your alarm for twenty minute, and worst case, 417 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 4: you've got a couple minutes of sleep within that worst 418 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 4: case right, or you just switched off your brain for 419 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 4: twenty minutes and weren't stimulated the entire time. So all 420 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 4: of those are great things. 421 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 2: We're learning so much, but we have to take another 422 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 2: short break. We'll be right back. We're back with doctor 423 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 2: Rebecca Robbins. Doctor Robins, this is going to be the 424 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 2: most difficult question of the whole conversation because it's so 425 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: hard to synthesize all of the research into one answer. 426 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,120 Speaker 2: But if we all walk away from this conversation today 427 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 2: and make one change to improve the quality of our sleep, 428 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 2: what would be your recommendation. 429 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 4: I think one of the first easiest things to do 430 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 4: is to start small and think about the time that 431 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 4: you're falling asleep. Now, whatever that number is, subtract fifteen minutes, 432 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 4: and now set it all on your phone, a relaxing 433 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 4: alarm for that time tonight, and whatever you're doing, pull 434 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 4: yourself out of that activity and go do something relaxing. 435 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 4: Start the process moving towards bed. Turn off the lights, 436 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 4: light a candle, read a book, take a warm shower, 437 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 4: and create little mini rituals that you could potentially sustain 438 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 4: most nights before bedtime to help your body understand. And 439 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 4: I think that starting small, being a little bit more 440 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 4: mindful about falling asleep at a consistent time, being mindful 441 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 4: of the things that we do before bedtime can then 442 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 4: be like a gateway drug right into some of the 443 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 4: other things, because then that gets you just a little 444 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 4: bit further towards understanding just how powerful it is to 445 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 4: wake up and feel energized. 446 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 2: I started doing this ritual because I have a hard 447 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: time having a routine at bedtime, and I started just 448 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: saying thank you before I go to bed, which is 449 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 2: I think maybe like an easy prayer, right, and then 450 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 2: I go through the list of what I feel thankful 451 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 2: for that night, that day, and it's helped me fall 452 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 2: asleep more quickly. I've noticed sometimes I fall asleep in 453 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 2: the midst of my thank you. 454 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 1: I love that so much, Danielle. 455 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 4: There's actually research on that a gratitude practice before bedtime 456 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 4: is associated with better sleep outcomes. And it's so powerful 457 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 4: because there's just a lot of bad news out there 458 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 4: right now, and I think our lives are very different 459 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,959 Speaker 4: than they were even ten or fifteen years ago, and 460 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 4: so sometimes all of these things that we've been exposed 461 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 4: to can hit you because all day long you've been reacting, 462 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 4: and then suddenly your day comes to a halt, and 463 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 4: all of that noise around you can really loom large 464 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 4: and seem more scary, uncertain, upsetting than maybe it would 465 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:50,679 Speaker 4: otherwise be. And so mindfulness practices are so powerful for 466 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:55,120 Speaker 4: all of those reasons before bedtime, and whether that's gratitude 467 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 4: journaling or just even meditating on the things that you're 468 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 4: grateful for like you do Danielle, or simple breathing technique 469 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,400 Speaker 4: four seven eight breath technique is one of my favorites. 470 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 4: Inhale for four through yer nose, bold for seven, and 471 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 4: then excel slowly for eight through your mouth, and suddenly 472 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 4: you've taken control of your emotions, of your heart right 473 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,959 Speaker 4: and better prepared for sleep. That took thirty seconds. 474 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 3: That's so much better and cheaper than a twelve step 475 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 3: skincare routine. 476 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: That's way better. 477 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 4: Practicing these exercises kind of trains you for falling asleep. 478 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 4: Because falling asleep or free from cares, from worries, it's 479 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 4: hard in today's world, but these breathing exercises give you 480 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 4: the tools to reach that state, or at least something 481 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 4: close to it. 482 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 2: Doctor Robbins, thank you so much for sharing your time 483 00:24:58,560 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 2: with us. 484 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed the conversation. 485 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 2: Doctor Rebecca Robbins is an Assistant Professor in medicine at 486 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 2: Harvard Medical School and a sleep scientist at the Brigham 487 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 2: and Women's Hospital in Boston. 488 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 3: That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, Giada dal Laurentis, celebrity 489 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 3: chef and Food Network veteran, is here to talk about 490 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 3: taking risks and embarking on a new chapter. 491 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 2: Listen and follow the bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, 492 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 493 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: I'm Simone Boye. 494 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 3: You can find me at Simone Boice on Instagram and TikTok. 495 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 2: I'm Danielle Robe on Instagram and TikTok. That's ro Bay. 496 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 2: We'll see you tomorrow. Keep looking on the bright side.