June 12, 2024

7 Proven Sleep Strategies with Dr. Bijoy John [Ep. 99]

7 Proven Sleep Strategies with Dr. Bijoy John [Ep. 99]
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Live Well

I’m joined today by Dr. Bijoy John, a board-certified sleep specialist with over 25 years of experience. Dr. John discusses various sleep strategies from his new book, 'Nobody's Sleeping: The Seven Proven Sleep Strategies,' which addresses common sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a low-light, low-noise, and low-temperature environment, exercising appropriately, and managing worries to improve sleep quality. The episode also covers how proper sleep impacts overall health and weight management, and offers practical advice for overcoming both sleep onset and maintenance insomnia.

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More from Dr. Bijoy John:


About Dr. John:

Bijoy E. John, MD, is a board-certified physician and practicing sleep specialist currently in private practice with over 25 years of experience in Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Based in Nashville, TN, he treats both children and adults with various sleep disorders. Dr. John is the founder and medical director of Sleep Wellness Clinics of America which offers in-person and online consultation, education, modern diagnostic modalities, home testing, and comprehensive treatment for a full spectrum of sleep disorders.

He also is the founder of Sleep Fix Academy which offers online courses, podcasts, and other resources to improve sleep quality, and serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine.

Dr. John is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was recognized as one of the Top 100 Physicians in Nashville for 2022 by My Nashville magazine. Additionally, he received the Top Sleep Specialist award consecutively from 2015–2020 from Nashville Lifestyle magazine, as voted by his peers and patients. He is also mentioned in Marquis Who’s Who as one of the Top Sleep Physicians for 2023-24.

Dr. John has been happily married to Dotty for 30 years and is the proud father of two grown children. He enjoys maintaining his coral reef aquarium, playing ping pong, tennis, golf, and loves to travel.

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Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.009
This is the Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well podcast.

00:00:02.009 --> 00:00:08.279
I'm Lisa Salsbury, and this is episode 99, 7 proven sleep strategies with Dr.

00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:09.240
Joy, John.

00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:10.140
But joy.

00:00:10.169 --> 00:00:19.079
John is a board certified physician and practicing sleep specialist currently in private practice with over 25 years of experience in pulmonary and critical care.

00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:20.730
And sleep medicine.

00:00:21.089 --> 00:00:25.829
He reached out to me to share some of his proven sleep strategies that are the foundation for his new book.

00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:26.940
Nobody's sleeping.

00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:34.450
I know that many of you struggle with sleep, whether it's primary insomnia, which we get into quite a bit here, or just going back to sleep when waking in the night.

00:00:34.810 --> 00:00:37.780
Sleep is so foundational to living well and to weight loss.

00:00:37.780 --> 00:00:41.200
I know you're going to really love this episode and the strategies that Dr.

00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:42.219
John shares.

00:00:46.012 --> 00:00:52.912
Welcome to Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well; the podcast for women who want to lose weight, but are tired of counting and calculating all the food.

00:00:53.542 --> 00:00:55.103
I'm your host, Lisa Salsbury.

00:00:55.493 --> 00:01:01.152
I'm a certified health and weight loss coach and life coach, and most importantly a recovered chronic dieter.

00:01:01.762 --> 00:01:07.703
I'll teach you to figure out why you are eating when you aren't hungry, instead of worrying so much about what you are eating.

00:01:10.030 --> 00:01:12.439
Welcome back to the eat well, think well, live well podcast.

00:01:12.469 --> 00:01:13.849
I'm delighted to have Dr.

00:01:13.849 --> 00:01:16.420
Bijoy John here with me today.

00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:19.329
He is a board certified sleep specialist.

00:01:19.349 --> 00:01:28.890
And so obviously we're going to be talking about sleeping well today that falls directly in our living well pillar of the podcast.

00:01:28.950 --> 00:01:30.439
Sleep is such an important part.

00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:32.790
Obviously we are going to get into that.

00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:33.780
So welcome Dr.

00:01:33.780 --> 00:01:35.560
John, please introduce yourself.

00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:38.349
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

00:01:39.260 --> 00:01:40.090
Well, thanks, Lisa.

00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:41.750
Thanks for having me on your show.

00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:43.489
You know, sleep is the foundation.

00:01:43.489 --> 00:01:44.739
It is the superpower.

00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:50.340
If you have a Lego, you put that sleep at the bottom, then you build your diet and fitness on it, right?

00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:52.950
So without sleep, you can't have the energy.

00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:54.579
You don't make the right choices with food.

00:01:54.579 --> 00:01:58.329
So it affects all parts of the body, you know, mind, heart.

00:01:58.780 --> 00:01:59.560
Uh, so.

00:01:59.954 --> 00:02:01.194
You know, this is within ourselves.

00:02:01.194 --> 00:02:01.834
It is free.

00:02:02.265 --> 00:02:10.455
I've discovered it over the years of practicing, you know, my background is pulmonary, but I'm a full board certified sleep specialist for the last three years.

00:02:10.455 --> 00:02:11.675
I just started my own clinic.

00:02:12.044 --> 00:02:14.854
So I perfected the art and I want to share it with the world.

00:02:14.884 --> 00:02:19.384
So that's why I decided to write the book called Nobody's Sleeping, The Seven Proven Sleep Strategies.

00:02:19.384 --> 00:02:21.495
If you have time, we'll go all over that.

00:02:21.495 --> 00:02:23.455
I'm ready for all the questions, Lisa.

00:02:23.485 --> 00:02:24.064
Let's go.

00:02:24.629 --> 00:02:25.050
Perfect.

00:02:25.099 --> 00:02:25.530
Perfect.

00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:25.990
Okay.

00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:28.520
So let's start with the issues.

00:02:28.969 --> 00:02:38.740
What are the three most common, like sleep disorders, or maybe there's more than that, but I think you mentioned that there are three pretty common ones.

00:02:39.189 --> 00:02:44.659
Um, a lot of times when I'm talking to clients, when they're not getting enough sleep.

00:02:44.990 --> 00:02:47.900
The first thing I address is like, well, are you going to bed on time?

00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:54.120
A lot of times I find with my clients, especially their moms, their, their busy women, their midlife, they have a lot going.

00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:57.050
They just don't go to bed on time because they have so much going on.

00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:00.379
And when we correct that, they get enough hours of sleep.

00:03:01.060 --> 00:03:06.389
But then there's the portion of my clients that have sleep disorder of some sort.

00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.360
They're not able to go to sleep or they were waking up in the night.

00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:16.430
So what's the three most common things that you are seeing that doesn't just have to do with the folks that just, just aren't going to bed on time.

00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:25.349
Like let's start with turning off the TV and going to bed on time, first of all, but if we've got that under control, what are some, some of the other issues that you see?

00:03:26.090 --> 00:03:30.780
So when I approach a sleep problem, I ask myself or the client was coming in.

00:03:31.009 --> 00:03:37.189
Is it primarily a sleep problem or you have underlying medical problems, psychological problem, or you have a sleep disorder, right?

00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:44.189
So the most common sleep disorders in my clinic are insomnia, either you know, have difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep.

00:03:44.469 --> 00:03:45.819
Number two is sleep apnea.

00:03:45.819 --> 00:03:51.930
Number three is the restless leg syndrome that people have that prevents them from going to sleep.

00:03:52.189 --> 00:04:02.585
So now talking to medical problems, like if you have a heart problem, if you have a lung problem, if you have chronic pain, Uh, you know, or even if you have diabetes, you're using the restroom at multiple times during the night.

00:04:02.585 --> 00:04:03.534
You don't sleep well.

00:04:03.854 --> 00:04:07.375
Then comes the psychological problems, whether you have anxiety or depression.

00:04:07.685 --> 00:04:10.115
So, you know, if you're anxious, you don't sleep well.

00:04:10.115 --> 00:04:11.985
When you don't sleep well, you don't heal well.

00:04:11.985 --> 00:04:12.745
You're more anxious.

00:04:12.745 --> 00:04:20.754
So, so once I come to that conclusion, then we go into this pathway of, you know, addressing the, the three common sleep disorders.

00:04:20.785 --> 00:04:30.154
That's how My approach is and it's a practical approach because if you have other problems, you can do everything you can, you won't be able to fall asleep because the other problems are affecting you.

00:04:31.370 --> 00:04:40.860
Yeah, that is such an issue because I mean, from, from my perspective, as far as like from coaching, like I said, mostly what I do is help people like prioritize their sleep.

00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:47.500
But if they have true insomnia, what do you see as the best ways to overcome that?

00:04:47.824 --> 00:04:48.045
Right.

00:04:48.055 --> 00:04:50.365
So that's called, you know, primary insomnia.

00:04:50.375 --> 00:04:52.064
You just can't turn your mind off.

00:04:52.365 --> 00:04:56.845
Then the other reasons are called the secondary or comorbid insomnia, either condition.

00:04:56.845 --> 00:04:58.384
So how do you do this?

00:04:58.394 --> 00:05:00.764
So I formed the 7 Proven Sleep Strategies.

00:05:00.764 --> 00:05:01.894
I have an acronym for that.

00:05:01.894 --> 00:05:05.024
If your, you know, viewers are listening, you can write it down.

00:05:05.605 --> 00:05:07.345
It's called S L E E P.

00:05:07.725 --> 00:05:09.524
Now, sleep now acronym.

00:05:09.524 --> 00:05:12.274
So I'll go through one by one, which is practical.

00:05:12.314 --> 00:05:15.175
Uh, you know, I've perfected it over the last 25 years.

00:05:15.444 --> 00:05:18.134
So the first S is called the schedule, right?

00:05:18.504 --> 00:05:20.704
For every plan to succeed, we have to have a schedule.

00:05:20.944 --> 00:05:25.555
So if you, uh, the general time to go to sleep is between 10 PM and 6 AM.

00:05:25.875 --> 00:05:28.564
So if you go to bed at 10, you can't fall asleep till midnight.

00:05:28.574 --> 00:05:30.204
Don't go to bed at 10.

00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:34.089
So the inclination is most people, in fact, they go to bed at nine.

00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:36.670
Now you're suffering from nine to midnight.

00:05:36.670 --> 00:05:39.970
So go to bed closer to the time you fell asleep, like 1130.

00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:46.079
Then once you're able to establish that, move a little bit backwards to 1115, 1110, 45 and so forth.

00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:50.509
But the most important thing here is you have to wake up at six.

00:05:51.654 --> 00:05:54.274
Um, so that's I'm trying to create a sleep debt.

00:05:54.295 --> 00:05:55.615
So that's the most important you have to have.

00:05:55.894 --> 00:05:58.035
So most people when they go through is very hard.

00:05:58.045 --> 00:06:01.954
The first two weeks, you know, people are very angry at me and they're angry at themselves.

00:06:02.185 --> 00:06:03.814
But after two weeks, you'll be so amazed.

00:06:03.845 --> 00:06:04.985
Your clock will start to turn.

00:06:04.985 --> 00:06:07.754
You'll start getting 15 minutes, 30 minutes increments.

00:06:07.754 --> 00:06:09.884
So, but you have to wake up at 6 a.

00:06:09.884 --> 00:06:09.954
m.

00:06:09.954 --> 00:06:11.555
So that's the S most important thing.

00:06:11.995 --> 00:06:13.595
Uh, the next is being the

00:06:13.964 --> 00:06:14.654
sorry, Dr.

00:06:14.654 --> 00:06:15.944
Dunn, let me interrupt you here.

00:06:16.274 --> 00:06:32.714
So what you're saying is you need to get up at the same time but you want to go get in bed at the time you typically go to sleep and then increase that, move it back by 15 minutes every day, or like how often can you move that

00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.879
So you have to establish that time for at least a week.

00:06:35.889 --> 00:06:39.709
You know, it's a slow process to move your clock because you know that might be a false.

00:06:40.230 --> 00:06:45.589
So once you are established for at least three, four, five days, ideally seven days, but you know, four, four days, five days, that's good.

00:06:46.605 --> 00:06:50.675
I think I've heard this method called sleep restriction or regulation.

00:06:50.704 --> 00:06:51.300
Is that what it is?

00:06:51.610 --> 00:06:55.680
You restrict the sleep into the times that you normally do sleep.

00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:57.110
Sleep consolidation.

00:06:57.370 --> 00:06:57.699
Okay.

00:06:57.930 --> 00:07:02.480
And this works best for primary insomnia or you have trouble going to sleep.

00:07:02.850 --> 00:07:03.290
Right.

00:07:03.829 --> 00:07:04.170
Okay.

00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:04.959
All right.

00:07:05.149 --> 00:07:08.209
So now we go into the L in the acronym is.

00:07:08.670 --> 00:07:10.500
Low light, low noise, and low temperature.

00:07:10.529 --> 00:07:15.790
Melatonin, if you remember, is only secreted in darkness and low temperature.

00:07:16.089 --> 00:07:17.980
And of course, the noise affects our sleep.

00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:21.000
So, uh, the melatonin, the MELA is darkness.

00:07:21.009 --> 00:07:23.680
So make sure your bedroom is dark and it's quiet.

00:07:24.209 --> 00:07:27.319
Uh, and the temperature is between 65 to 70 degrees.

00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:27.649
Okay?

00:07:28.110 --> 00:07:28.790
So that's it.

00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:29.220
Sorry.

00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:30.139
I'm going to interrupt you again.

00:07:30.482 --> 00:07:31.401
I have so many questions.

00:07:31.732 --> 00:07:32.062
Okay.

00:07:32.271 --> 00:07:43.831
On darkness, how dark, like I have a clock bed, bedside that, you know, glows and there's, I just have regular, like two inch wood blinds.

00:07:43.831 --> 00:07:45.632
I don't have any kind of like blackout curtains.

00:07:45.641 --> 00:07:51.101
So sometimes when the moon is bright, that, you know, I can see, the wall across the room.

00:07:51.531 --> 00:07:53.112
How dark is dark enough?

00:07:53.547 --> 00:07:53.706
Yeah.

00:07:53.757 --> 00:07:55.057
As dark as possible.

00:07:55.197 --> 00:07:59.396
So I actually eliminate all clocks and glow lights in the, in the room.

00:07:59.557 --> 00:08:00.036
Uh huh.

00:08:00.057 --> 00:08:01.726
So that is a hindrance to you.

00:08:02.137 --> 00:08:06.146
Uh, because as we go along to the next E, that's what I'm going to talk about.

00:08:07.041 --> 00:08:07.432
Okay.

00:08:07.512 --> 00:08:07.901
Okay.

00:08:08.177 --> 00:08:09.906
As dark as possible is my short answer.

00:08:09.906 --> 00:08:11.336
I mean, sometimes you can avoid it.

00:08:11.336 --> 00:08:11.867
That's okay.

00:08:12.096 --> 00:08:15.666
But as much, you know, curtains to keep it dark is the thing.

00:08:16.076 --> 00:08:18.266
So the E is the most important thing.

00:08:18.666 --> 00:08:20.516
Note electronics at least an hour.

00:08:20.982 --> 00:08:37.491
On a practical basis, at least 30 minutes because the light, no matter blue light filter and any of those filters, the light from the phone and the electronic devices, especially in your bedroom where there's no ambient light, it sends a stronger signal to the brain through your eyes saying, Hey, it's still daytime.

00:08:37.491 --> 00:08:38.432
You don't need to go to sleep.

00:08:38.751 --> 00:08:40.662
Melatonin is only secreted in darkness.

00:08:40.932 --> 00:08:42.182
So what happened with COVID?

00:08:42.211 --> 00:08:46.111
We bought our work home and from home, we took it to our bedroom.

00:08:46.111 --> 00:08:47.542
So we have all these gadgets.

00:08:48.047 --> 00:08:48.797
Next to us.

00:08:48.947 --> 00:08:55.126
So I keep my phone in my bathroom, I set an alarm for six, and I have to literally wake up no chance to snooze button.

00:08:55.126 --> 00:08:57.136
I'm walking and turning it off, right?

00:08:57.376 --> 00:09:06.817
So it's, and also you might have, uh, disturbances, like your text messages, notifications, uh, you know, you may, you don't have a temptation to do that.

00:09:07.116 --> 00:09:11.726
So if your phone is away from your, uh, from your body, you know, out of reach, you have to walk.

00:09:11.726 --> 00:09:13.017
So that's a great thing you can do.

00:09:13.466 --> 00:09:16.136
So that's the, uh, NAE the next, go ahead.

00:09:16.197 --> 00:09:16.767
You got a question?

00:09:17.062 --> 00:09:17.442
yep.

00:09:17.841 --> 00:09:18.601
More questions.

00:09:18.981 --> 00:09:37.951
Um, the electronics, I have always wondered, does TV, like if we're, so we, my husband and I don't have a TV in our bedroom, but we watch TV downstairs is, does that also have the blue light or is that okay to turn the TV off and then go directly to bed?

00:09:37.981 --> 00:09:40.121
Or Is it just the phones that have the blue light?

00:09:40.782 --> 00:09:42.042
Yeah, TVs also.

00:09:42.072 --> 00:09:47.272
So what happens is, uh, you don't want anything big electronics in your bedroom, right?

00:09:47.282 --> 00:09:50.032
Bedroom is only for, you know, sex and sleep.

00:09:50.221 --> 00:09:50.851
You don't want TV.

00:09:50.851 --> 00:09:51.591
Nothing good happens.

00:09:51.611 --> 00:09:52.961
Your thoughts are provoking.

00:09:53.201 --> 00:09:56.751
I still remember the 1999 election, Al Gore versus Bush.

00:09:56.912 --> 00:09:58.392
Every few minutes it was changing.

00:09:58.392 --> 00:09:59.142
I was up all night.

00:09:59.251 --> 00:10:00.692
The TV was next to me.

00:10:00.692 --> 00:10:08.381
You know, that's when I realized I got to take this TV out and you know that all this research about taking your TV out of your bedroom is all new in the last 20 years.

00:10:08.392 --> 00:10:09.182
So I'm right there.

00:10:09.182 --> 00:10:10.172
So I took the TV out.

00:10:10.172 --> 00:10:16.412
And since then, I don't let TV in my children's room or in, you know, uh, in my own room, we don't have TV.

00:10:16.412 --> 00:10:20.341
So you don't want to have a TV, you know, you turn it on light.

00:10:20.371 --> 00:10:20.902
Boom.

00:10:21.162 --> 00:10:27.461
So, you know, in the middle of the night, if you wake up, I tell people to leave the bedroom and go watch TV, see between the TV and the phone.

00:10:27.731 --> 00:10:36.971
TV is a little bit better because you will have to turn on another line light and it's it's much calmer on your body and then the phone, which has got so close to you.

00:10:37.001 --> 00:10:37.902
Boom, it goes in.

00:10:38.001 --> 00:10:38.721
So nice.

00:10:38.721 --> 00:10:39.682
Good question right there.

00:10:40.081 --> 00:10:44.331
So it's, I mean, but like at the fundamental, is it considered blue light?

00:10:44.711 --> 00:10:46.081
Is TV considered blue light?

00:10:46.471 --> 00:10:48.642
I'm sure it is because there's my multiple.

00:10:48.642 --> 00:10:49.282
I'm not sure.

00:10:49.312 --> 00:10:51.761
Completely sure of the answer, but I'm sure it is.

00:10:53.072 --> 00:11:00.851
I also use, um, pretty frequently a Kindle, which is just like the paper, white, the paper, paper, light paper, something.

00:11:01.121 --> 00:11:05.011
Anyway, it doesn't, from what I understand that is not blue light.

00:11:05.062 --> 00:11:08.111
That's just Because it's like black and white.

00:11:08.981 --> 00:11:12.631
so the analogy I gave he give here is Coke and Diet Coke, right?

00:11:12.631 --> 00:11:14.511
So it's still still light.

00:11:14.552 --> 00:11:18.402
You can split it as much as you can, but it is not good for you.

00:11:18.672 --> 00:11:23.751
I tell people, you know, if you have any electronics, I tell it's like a TSA screening.

00:11:24.062 --> 00:11:28.601
If you're going through your, you know, the screener, You're carrying your phone like that.

00:11:28.611 --> 00:11:30.272
That should be your entrance to your bedroom.

00:11:30.481 --> 00:11:30.942
Beep.

00:11:30.961 --> 00:11:31.772
You have your phone.

00:11:31.812 --> 00:11:32.532
Take it away.

00:11:32.922 --> 00:11:34.721
You're bringing all your worries to bed.

00:11:34.731 --> 00:11:35.211
Beep.

00:11:35.251 --> 00:11:36.631
You have to leave it all outside.

00:11:36.631 --> 00:11:39.631
So that's the entrance to your bedroom is your TSA scanner.

00:11:40.001 --> 00:11:40.672
No phone.

00:11:41.302 --> 00:11:42.261
No electronics.

00:11:42.572 --> 00:11:42.922
So

00:11:43.652 --> 00:11:46.412
I cannot go to sleep without reading.

00:11:46.422 --> 00:11:48.562
It helps me go to sleep so much.

00:11:49.042 --> 00:11:51.231
you know, if that's one thing, that's okay.

00:11:51.231 --> 00:11:56.072
But, uh, you know, but I'm giving it when you give an advice, it has to be for the majority of the people.

00:11:56.081 --> 00:11:57.511
Some people are always exceptions.

00:11:57.822 --> 00:12:01.152
You know, some people can, you know, drink coffee and go to bed within half hour.

00:12:01.331 --> 00:12:02.991
You know, some people can have loud music.

00:12:03.251 --> 00:12:04.552
So, but most people cannot.

00:12:04.772 --> 00:12:05.261
So,

00:12:05.971 --> 00:12:10.652
Well, and I mean, the truth is I don't really have a lot of sleep problems.

00:12:10.682 --> 00:12:19.981
And so I feel like, well, if it's working, then maybe I don't need to change, but I just have wondered like if, if it is considered blue light.

00:12:20.861 --> 00:12:24.672
Yeah, I might have to look into it, but I don't give a wrong answer to you or your viewers.

00:12:25.091 --> 00:12:27.162
Uh, the next is the exercise.

00:12:27.361 --> 00:12:29.022
So exercise generate heat.

00:12:29.211 --> 00:12:32.251
So make sure you don't exercise at least four hours prior to going to sleep.

00:12:32.552 --> 00:12:36.621
Uh, because remember melatonin has to, your body has to, uh, you know, cool down.

00:12:36.621 --> 00:12:38.951
Same thing with eating a big meal before bedtime.

00:12:38.951 --> 00:12:44.241
You're having a lot of heat within, you know, the sleep onset is like half hour prior to the temperature drop.

00:12:44.241 --> 00:12:48.902
So there's, it's kind of related to the temperature, uh, minimum at night.

00:12:49.241 --> 00:12:51.246
So Exercise in the morning.

00:12:51.256 --> 00:12:57.076
If you don't have a chance, make sure you exercise for our product, you know, so then we're going on with the acronym is P.

00:12:57.076 --> 00:12:57.736
You have a question.

00:12:57.985 --> 00:12:58.495
Yeah,

00:12:58.804 --> 00:12:59.164
Yes,

00:12:59.184 --> 00:12:59.475
I do.

00:12:59.495 --> 00:13:00.164
Yeah, shoot away.

00:13:00.164 --> 00:13:01.245
Yeah.

00:13:01.465 --> 00:13:07.554
um, as far as I just caught, you said, um, eating to produces heat.

00:13:08.195 --> 00:13:14.215
I noticed that is really common with my clients that they tell me, yeah, I just don't sleep well if I have a really big meal.

00:13:14.565 --> 00:13:29.460
And so it's one of those sort of, I talked to them a lot about short term reasons for not over eating because, overeating is primarily what I help my clients discontinue is just plain old overeating, not anything, you know, crazy.

00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:34.149
And we need to have reasons for why we don't overeat, right.

00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.750
And a lot of them are these like long term health reasons.

00:13:36.769 --> 00:13:39.019
And so I always try to bring it in short, like, okay, but.

00:13:39.370 --> 00:13:44.879
What will change if we don't overeat within an hour of now, two hours from now, three hours from now.

00:13:44.909 --> 00:13:49.070
And sleeping is a huge one for my clients with not overeating at dinner.

00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:52.419
They often will tell me if I overeat at dinner, I don't sleep well.

00:13:52.649 --> 00:13:59.200
And so it's interesting for you to say it's partly because the heat of Digestion, the heat is generated.

00:13:59.470 --> 00:14:02.750
And so your body's not cooled down enough to be able to go to sleep.

00:14:02.750 --> 00:14:12.779
So I just love knowing the science behind that for them, because, you know, I hear it a lot from clients that they are sleeping better because they're not overeating at dinner.

00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.389
And so that's an interesting reason why.

00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:27.049
and also the full stomach you're not comfortable and then you know, you're also predisposed to acid secretion You have heartburn that can be a reason why people maximum acid is secreted between 2 a.

00:14:27.049 --> 00:14:27.179
m.

00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:27.570
And 4 a.

00:14:27.570 --> 00:14:35.115
m So, you know heating eating early a light meal for dinner has many many benefits purposes, uh, to help with sleep.

00:14:35.625 --> 00:14:37.875
So then we have gone to the SLEEP.

00:14:37.884 --> 00:14:49.465
P is power of your mind, but I've given a chance by calming your body and then also don't access, uh, to all the electronics and the worry creating, uh, you know, emails and text messages.

00:14:49.465 --> 00:14:50.235
You're taking it out.

00:14:50.445 --> 00:14:54.134
So you can't calm your mind without, you know, giving it a chance.

00:14:54.134 --> 00:14:57.065
So I teach two techniques to help people power off their mind in bed.

00:14:57.065 --> 00:14:58.965
One is called a Vivid Imagination.

00:14:59.355 --> 00:15:04.549
So, A vivid imagination is a term, it's there, but for sleep, I am kind of like pioneering it.

00:15:04.779 --> 00:15:06.990
So when you lay in bed, I don't want reality.

00:15:06.990 --> 00:15:09.840
I don't want the imagination of your bills, your problems.

00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:11.039
I want to leave that out.

00:15:11.210 --> 00:15:13.950
But in bed, I want to create your own imagination.

00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.740
As the director of your show, you want to be in the abstract.

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:19.139
You just have to have your thought process go along.

00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:20.110
New story.

00:15:20.110 --> 00:15:22.840
You don't want to live in reality, which really helps.

00:15:22.909 --> 00:15:24.259
I've been using this technique personally.

00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:27.605
I've I've taught many people for 30 years and it really, really works.

00:15:27.815 --> 00:15:31.355
But, but remember, I'm giving your body a chance, your mind a chance.

00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:33.850
you give an example of what that would?

00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:35.470
So

00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:41.059
So like, let's say last night I watched a TV show, and then, hey, what if I think I'm the director?

00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:52.100
I'm going to have this characters play out and I literally write a story in my head and then what happens to you, you will be surprised to know as the story develops, you, you fall right into sleep.

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.009
It's, it's a, it's an amazing technique.

00:15:54.429 --> 00:16:00.235
Uh, but what happens is contrary, contrary to that, we Think about, you know, the problems.

00:16:00.495 --> 00:16:03.784
We're trying to solve the problems in our bed, which is not good.

00:16:04.235 --> 00:16:04.725
So that's

00:16:04.750 --> 00:16:14.440
instead of trying to solve our actual problems, we maybe put ourselves in an imaginary situation and we become, do you like us to be the hero in those

00:16:14.924 --> 00:16:19.504
Whichever you want to be, whatever you want to be, it's your, your show, you created it.

00:16:20.945 --> 00:16:24.044
And part B is, uh, is yoga nidra.

00:16:24.044 --> 00:16:25.245
There's many types of yoga.

00:16:25.245 --> 00:16:26.605
Nidra means nothingness.

00:16:26.605 --> 00:16:29.245
When you lay in bed, you want to be completely nothing.

00:16:29.575 --> 00:16:33.825
Think about nothing, but I give people a little bit of a chance to think about the different parts of the body.

00:16:33.825 --> 00:16:39.125
Start from your scalp, you know, facial muscle, neck muscles, chest, belly, and go all the way down.

00:16:39.284 --> 00:16:42.495
So this is cognitive behavioral therapy, uh, of insomnia.

00:16:42.514 --> 00:16:43.955
But this is, I just incorporated.

00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.090
But, you know, you can only do all this thing.

00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:47.879
The phone's next to your ding.

00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:49.690
Oh, no, I want to answer this one.

00:16:49.700 --> 00:16:50.759
You can't do it, right?

00:16:50.789 --> 00:16:54.159
So, and the bright light, noise going in, and had a big meal.

00:16:54.620 --> 00:16:57.070
And so, remember, sleep is a dimmer switch.

00:16:57.070 --> 00:16:58.259
It's not an on and off switch.

00:16:58.259 --> 00:16:59.850
We want it to be an on and off switch.

00:17:00.289 --> 00:17:05.670
And we have met our match in the counterculture, or the hustle culture, with sleep.

00:17:05.670 --> 00:17:07.410
Sleep is that test, you know.

00:17:07.650 --> 00:17:08.609
It's an ancient art.

00:17:08.609 --> 00:17:11.059
It is simple, yet complicated for many.

00:17:11.295 --> 00:17:16.295
Because of the, you know, the type of world we live in, you know, busy, busy, busy.

00:17:16.515 --> 00:17:19.484
So we come to P, we are power off your mind.

00:17:19.724 --> 00:17:22.184
Next is the N O in the acronym.

00:17:22.194 --> 00:17:23.045
No to worries.

00:17:23.315 --> 00:17:23.984
We all worry.

00:17:23.984 --> 00:17:24.825
I want you to worry.

00:17:25.065 --> 00:17:26.744
But I worry between 6 p.

00:17:26.744 --> 00:17:27.025
m.

00:17:27.125 --> 00:17:27.815
and 8 p.

00:17:27.815 --> 00:17:27.964
m.

00:17:27.964 --> 00:17:29.275
I'm done by 8.

00:17:29.605 --> 00:17:32.095
If I'm not solving the problem, I'm writing it down.

00:17:32.095 --> 00:17:33.535
I'm getting ready for your show tonight.

00:17:33.535 --> 00:17:34.515
I say, what time is it?

00:17:34.515 --> 00:17:35.535
Is it Eastern time?

00:17:35.565 --> 00:17:37.365
All those things that do my notes.

00:17:37.595 --> 00:17:39.134
And I'm out by 8 p.

00:17:39.134 --> 00:17:39.305
m.

00:17:39.325 --> 00:17:40.535
I don't think about it.

00:17:40.565 --> 00:17:40.894
You know.

00:17:41.164 --> 00:17:47.085
I don't take it to my bedroom, uh, so I, you know, I leave it all, I write it down for the next day.

00:17:47.085 --> 00:17:48.275
So that's the no to worries.

00:17:48.505 --> 00:17:53.444
So how do, I mean, what would you say to someone that's like, but I can't, I can't just not worry about it.

00:17:53.454 --> 00:18:05.585
Like this is a big issue to me, my child, my spouse, my family, you know, that's pretty common worries when, when I, it feels like telling a depressed person, just be happy.

00:18:05.595 --> 00:18:08.765
How do you tell someone who's worried to just not worry?

00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:12.019
know, that's why I'm telling people to take the time between 6 p.

00:18:12.019 --> 00:18:12.180
m.

00:18:12.180 --> 00:18:12.650
and 8 p.

00:18:12.650 --> 00:18:12.789
m.

00:18:12.789 --> 00:18:13.289
to worry.

00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:16.720
See, so dedicated worrying time, right?

00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:17.529
I want you to worry.

00:18:17.549 --> 00:18:20.779
We all worry because that's the way it will, but I want to put a stop to it.

00:18:20.789 --> 00:18:24.049
See, see, what is anxiety and depression?

00:18:24.369 --> 00:18:27.640
Anxiety is the fear of the unknown or the future.

00:18:27.980 --> 00:18:30.420
Depression is worries of the past, right?

00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:32.799
It's a simple definition, but complicated.

00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:38.875
If you can't resolve that, You have two hours to resolve it, you know you're gonna take that into your bed.

00:18:38.875 --> 00:18:40.134
You're not going to resolve that.

00:18:40.134 --> 00:18:41.484
So write it down for the next day.

00:18:41.484 --> 00:18:42.775
So I want everybody to worry.

00:18:43.045 --> 00:18:47.904
so if the child is the problem, we talk to the child between 6:00 PM it builds out the problem.

00:18:47.904 --> 00:18:48.924
Try to do that.

00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:51.085
You know, notes, you know, whatever it is.

00:18:51.585 --> 00:18:52.724
Have a dedicated time.

00:18:52.875 --> 00:18:55.335
It works really, really well because you have a purpose.

00:18:55.335 --> 00:18:58.384
Hey, I have two, two hours dedicated to my worries.

00:18:58.414 --> 00:18:58.714
Right.

00:18:58.835 --> 00:19:00.815
You know, well that's the time I worry about.

00:19:01.434 --> 00:19:03.265
So that's a practical way we all worry.

00:19:04.184 --> 00:19:07.025
I tend to worry in the background while I'm doing other things.

00:19:07.869 --> 00:19:08.779
Yeah, that's okay, too.

00:19:09.089 --> 00:19:11.220
But do that not in bed.

00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:13.069
You know, see, you are a sound sleeper.

00:19:13.079 --> 00:19:18.559
You know, I'm trying that, you know, people who are not good sleepers to take it to their bedroom.

00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:25.009
So you're able to, you know, your secretions of your, you know, chemicals are much more stronger than people suffering with insomnia.

00:19:25.865 --> 00:19:30.055
the nights that I do have trouble sleeping are definitely related.

00:19:30.765 --> 00:19:31.835
To worrying.

00:19:31.855 --> 00:19:35.924
It's definitely the nights when something, has happened.

00:19:35.944 --> 00:19:37.835
I don't want to say something traumatic.

00:19:37.835 --> 00:20:15.392
That sounds a little, that's a little bit, dramatic for times I think that I've had trouble sleeping in the last, you know, I don't know, several months, but I have had, I mean, good things too, like my son got married and there was a lot going on and a lot of stress, and so it's those kinds of things that, um, sort of kept me from sleeping, so I just, I relate to this, like, the worry part, so, is the advice generally then to Sort of have a time dedicated, but then if you aren't solving it to write it down and get it out of the brain and then address it the next day.

00:20:15.686 --> 00:20:40.356
Yes, this works, you know, because you're giving a chance practically, you know, when, when people have poor sleep, I tell them to, you know, I have my own technique, I tell them to write it all down, you know, I have this, sleep, journal, and they're able to see, wow, I had caffeine around this time, I had this much alcohol, you know, this is when I am worrying, so they're able to see it in, in, you know, visualize, so if you're writing down will help you a lot.

00:20:41.051 --> 00:20:41.402
Okay.

00:20:41.926 --> 00:20:42.817
So that's no worries.

00:20:43.017 --> 00:20:45.416
The last one is win by losing.

00:20:45.757 --> 00:20:50.527
Uh, you know, we can hustle our way, hustle, hustle everything, but sleep, you have to let it go.

00:20:50.527 --> 00:20:53.386
You have to lose yourself with easy routines.

00:20:53.386 --> 00:20:58.067
So that's this acronym which has worked well for many, many years, many, many hundreds of patients.

00:20:58.067 --> 00:21:01.136
So S L E E P N O W.

00:21:01.386 --> 00:21:03.237
So that's the seven proven sleep strategies.

00:21:03.247 --> 00:21:05.317
That's the subtitle of my, uh, book.

00:21:05.932 --> 00:21:06.261
Nice.

00:21:06.352 --> 00:21:06.862
Thank you.

00:21:07.261 --> 00:21:11.261
That's really helpful for that primary insomnia.

00:21:11.271 --> 00:21:16.261
Do you think these things help also with I believe it's called the secondary where you wake up in the night.

00:21:16.261 --> 00:21:16.342
Mm hmm.

00:21:17.086 --> 00:21:23.317
Yeah, so what happens is, the second portion of insomnia is, see, this is called sleep onset insomnia, we discussed.

00:21:23.537 --> 00:21:26.007
The second part is sleep maintenance insomnia.

00:21:26.247 --> 00:21:32.406
So the sleep cycle goes through, you know, different REM and non REM, every 60 to 90 minutes we alter.

00:21:32.636 --> 00:21:38.207
Sometimes, you know, we also go through lighter stages of sleep that you wake up, but are you waking up?

00:21:38.707 --> 00:21:54.946
Uh, because of a medical problem, like shortness of breath, or you want to use the restroom because you have diabetes, uh, you know, if you have asthma, or if you're having acid reflux, or if you have a condition like sleep apnea, or if you are moving a lot in your sleep, called limb movement disorder.

00:21:55.116 --> 00:22:00.247
So these are the times you have to have help from your physician to see why are you waking up in the middle of the night.

00:22:00.527 --> 00:22:01.606
So, Dr.

00:22:01.606 --> 00:22:05.457
John, that's a practical thing, but what do I do if I wake up in the middle of the night?

00:22:05.626 --> 00:22:08.287
So if you're short of breath, make, make sure you take your inhaler.

00:22:08.636 --> 00:22:17.287
Uh, you know, if you're using the restroom a lot in, you know, in men, it could be a prostate problem in women, menopausal women have a risk for urinary tract infection.

00:22:17.606 --> 00:22:19.896
So you have to think in those angles.

00:22:20.247 --> 00:22:25.946
Uh, but if you wake up, I want you to leave The bedroom and go outside the bedroom.

00:22:26.136 --> 00:22:29.547
So you don't need to like torture yourself in bed, but don't look at the clock.

00:22:29.547 --> 00:22:30.826
You know, there's no clock in my bedroom.

00:22:30.826 --> 00:22:34.807
I don't look at my phone in the middle of the night because there may be multiple messages.

00:22:34.846 --> 00:22:37.376
Then I'm thinking, so I just go watch TV.

00:22:37.376 --> 00:22:38.507
It happens in my own life.

00:22:38.807 --> 00:22:41.041
So, you know, I'm, I'm, you know, Dr.

00:22:41.041 --> 00:22:43.182
Matthew Walker, you know, he wrote the book, Why We Sleep.

00:22:43.221 --> 00:22:54.071
He says, you don't sit in a, dining table to get hungry, you know, so you don't lay in bed, you know, wanting to sleep, you know, so you don't, you know, think about it.

00:22:54.071 --> 00:22:54.721
So you leave.

00:22:55.102 --> 00:22:58.352
You know, take so your brain doesn't associate as a torture chamber.

00:22:58.352 --> 00:22:59.801
I'm not able to sleep well in the middle of the night.

00:22:59.811 --> 00:23:01.412
Just leave watch TV.

00:23:01.412 --> 00:23:02.192
It happens to me.

00:23:02.241 --> 00:23:03.592
I just come back after that.

00:23:04.362 --> 00:23:05.071
How long?

00:23:05.471 --> 00:23:10.791
Because I, I mean, I wake up in the night, but I'm not awake enough to want to leave the bedroom.

00:23:10.791 --> 00:23:13.102
How long would you say to give yourself?

00:23:13.991 --> 00:23:17.001
Because It's normal to have wake ups in the night.

00:23:17.102 --> 00:23:20.471
Most of us don't remember them is the way I understand it.

00:23:20.491 --> 00:23:25.791
So if we have a small wake up, I woke up the other night and I was like sleeping wrong on my neck.

00:23:25.791 --> 00:23:27.571
And I was like, wow, that feels terrible.

00:23:27.571 --> 00:23:31.662
And I turned over and I thought, Ooh, am I going to be able to go back to sleep?

00:23:31.662 --> 00:23:34.142
And the next thing I knew it was the morning.

00:23:34.142 --> 00:23:38.352
So clearly just because I woke up doesn't mean I have to get out of bed.

00:23:38.592 --> 00:23:43.192
How long do you give yourself before you're like, okay, It's time.

00:23:44.092 --> 00:23:46.352
So like I said, it's common to wake up.

00:23:46.531 --> 00:23:48.412
So make sure you don't look at the time.

00:23:48.442 --> 00:23:49.711
So immediately there's a clock.

00:23:49.711 --> 00:23:51.632
So I eliminate clocks, all electronic.

00:23:51.971 --> 00:23:53.352
Then you are like three o'clock.

00:23:53.642 --> 00:23:54.761
Oh, it's only three o'clock.

00:23:55.001 --> 00:23:57.332
So it creates the cognitive activity.

00:23:57.342 --> 00:23:58.281
So I'll tell people.

00:23:58.727 --> 00:24:02.457
But, so I, I call it in my book, I mentioned the semi delicate state.

00:24:02.686 --> 00:24:06.126
You know, even if you have to use the restroom, go ahead and then just come back.

00:24:06.356 --> 00:24:07.666
I call it the sleep shape.

00:24:07.747 --> 00:24:09.527
Keep the shape, then lay back to bed.

00:24:09.727 --> 00:24:15.396
But if you, if you come back and then if it's about 10, 15 minutes, 20 minutes max, you're just tossing and turning.

00:24:15.406 --> 00:24:20.787
You didn't enter back into the sleep cycle, that's when you leave and, uh, you know, watch TV.

00:24:21.037 --> 00:24:23.221
And then get back, And try this.

00:24:23.471 --> 00:24:29.451
So remember, if you're having this problem constantly, you still have to wake up at six o'clock or a dedicated time.

00:24:29.642 --> 00:24:32.261
so a few days, you're creating the sleep debt.

00:24:32.481 --> 00:24:37.471
But if you relax that by by snooze button, you're releasing that pressure.

00:24:38.241 --> 00:24:38.832
You with me?

00:24:39.031 --> 00:24:44.961
So if you get any problem, either sleep onset or sleep maintenance, insomnia, you just have to wake up at a consistent time.

00:24:45.132 --> 00:24:48.061
And then the sleep debt will take over, and then you will start sleeping.

00:24:48.061 --> 00:24:51.271
See, we all do this without our knowledge during time change.

00:24:51.501 --> 00:24:57.951
That's why vulnerable people, I see a lot of problem, especially when people lose time around this time, because they're, they have a trouble.

00:24:58.142 --> 00:25:03.741
But if you're good, we, we, we pass through subconsciously, uh, through the, through the time changes.

00:25:03.741 --> 00:25:04.672
It happens to all of us.

00:25:05.362 --> 00:25:07.422
mean, sleep is a constant issue.

00:25:07.422 --> 00:25:17.442
I think, especially for my clients and listeners in this perimenopause menopause time, a lot, a lot of my clientele is in that category.

00:25:17.832 --> 00:25:25.402
what would you say to the hormonal shifts that cause some of some of the sleep disorders or sleep issues?

00:25:26.446 --> 00:25:29.686
So I just recently wrote an article on Neurology Live, it's on Google.

00:25:29.686 --> 00:25:34.997
If you Google my name, you'll find, so I said the title of the thing is, sleep Sucks at 50.

00:25:35.057 --> 00:25:35.386
So

00:25:35.926 --> 00:25:38.757
Oh, no, got two more years.

00:25:39.196 --> 00:25:43.876
so what happens there in a, in a menopause and perimenopause, you lose estrogen?

00:25:43.882 --> 00:25:51.737
You know, in my research with pulmonary estrogen was the biggest thing that saved a lot of young women from the bad complications in the ICU.

00:25:51.737 --> 00:25:55.551
It's a great hormone, but when you lose it, everything tends to sag, especially the tongue.

00:25:56.007 --> 00:25:58.977
You know, it falls backwards and causes obstruction.

00:25:58.977 --> 00:26:03.633
So women are more prone for sleep apnea around perimenopause, menopause age.

00:26:03.633 --> 00:26:08.396
Men are more, have more incidence of sleep apnea, but around menopause, the risk is same.

00:26:08.606 --> 00:26:10.737
And you gain about seven pounds on the average.

00:26:10.807 --> 00:26:14.977
Uh, the same thing happens with, um, you know, night sweats.

00:26:15.257 --> 00:26:16.326
You're sweating a lot.

00:26:16.747 --> 00:26:37.196
Uh, you know, you are at risk for other medical problems like, you know, diabetes, um, you know, and if you've taken alcohol or tea, you might have, you read a lot of things and do a few things, you know, if tea is also a diuretic and you're waking up in the middle of the night and also the low estrogen slows down the urinary passage, you know, the ureter is a smooth muscle.

00:26:37.196 --> 00:26:44.551
It kind of relaxes this nice estrogen and your urine is Lagging behind, it's more static and you create a urinary tract infection.

00:26:44.862 --> 00:26:47.971
More, more women around this time also have iron deficiency anemia.

00:26:48.352 --> 00:26:50.652
So that could cause restless leg syndrome.

00:26:50.692 --> 00:26:52.801
So there's so many A, B, C, D, E, F.

00:26:52.801 --> 00:26:57.592
You know, I describe a woman, a chapter for that in my book about, uh, you know, women's problems.

00:26:57.592 --> 00:27:01.021
You know, my, my mom taught me how to sleep and taught me about naps.

00:27:01.021 --> 00:27:06.781
So I said, I have to have a chapter for women to help women, uh, you know, through, through this.

00:27:07.750 --> 00:27:11.532
Well, hormone replacement therapy has really been, um, helpful for me with sleep.

00:27:11.532 --> 00:27:19.923
I assume that you, recommend that as well, but getting on the right dosage of estrogen and progesterone has really impacted my good sleep.

00:27:19.923 --> 00:27:24.432
I was, you know, the night sweats and I was starting to have wakenings and stuff.

00:27:24.432 --> 00:27:27.373
So, uh, my dosage was adjusted and that helped a lot.

00:27:27.393 --> 00:27:28.682
I'm sure you see that as well.

00:27:29.157 --> 00:27:33.157
Right, I recommend that, but make sure you do with an expert in that field

00:27:33.512 --> 00:27:33.972
Oh, sure.

00:27:34.357 --> 00:27:36.048
it cuts down in both ways.

00:27:36.577 --> 00:27:37.587
Yeah, yeah.

00:27:38.188 --> 00:27:44.518
So, all this too is Interesting, but why do we care?

00:27:44.827 --> 00:27:47.778
Like what's the big deal besides, Oh, I'm a little bit tired.

00:27:48.627 --> 00:27:50.438
Why do we care about sleeping?

00:27:50.468 --> 00:27:59.421
And specifically, if you could speak to those of us that are trying to lose and or maintain weight, why do we care about our sleep?

00:28:00.461 --> 00:28:02.820
So sleep, you know, affects all parts of the body.

00:28:02.820 --> 00:28:06.921
You're tired, you're angry, you know, you are in a mental fog.

00:28:07.230 --> 00:28:08.590
It can affect blood pressure.

00:28:08.590 --> 00:28:10.080
It can affect blood sugar.

00:28:10.490 --> 00:28:12.111
It can affect your sexual health.

00:28:13.060 --> 00:28:15.891
So the most, Question about sleep and diet.

00:28:16.230 --> 00:28:20.760
So, the diet is controlled by two, you know, hormones, leptin and ghrelin.

00:28:21.111 --> 00:28:24.201
You know, leptin lowers the appetite, ghrelin increases the appetite.

00:28:24.201 --> 00:28:26.840
When you don't sleep well, two things happen to you.

00:28:26.840 --> 00:28:29.161
Number one, you have more time to be awake.

00:28:29.461 --> 00:28:29.921
Guess what?

00:28:29.921 --> 00:28:32.570
When you have more time to be awake, you're going to eat more.

00:28:32.651 --> 00:28:33.790
It's just because of the time.

00:28:34.010 --> 00:28:35.580
And then you're going to make bad choices.

00:28:35.590 --> 00:28:37.631
You're going to eat high glycemic food.

00:28:37.891 --> 00:28:43.721
And just by eating a high glycemic food, even four hours prior to going to sleep, it's going to affect your quality of sleep.

00:28:44.090 --> 00:28:46.691
And then the leptin, ghrelin ratio is altered.

00:28:46.891 --> 00:28:50.411
You have less of leptin and more of ghrelin when you don't sleep well.

00:28:50.431 --> 00:28:55.300
So that, you know, you're more ghrelin, it increases your appetite and you're making bad choices.

00:28:55.310 --> 00:29:00.361
You're eating more and there you have a vicious cycle and you're, uh, you know, at risk for sleep apnea.

00:29:00.361 --> 00:29:01.055
And then yeah.

00:29:01.145 --> 00:29:09.256
Uh, you know, overweight, when you gain weight, you have sleep apnea and that can cause this whole problem to complications and problems associated with sleep apnea.

00:29:10.746 --> 00:29:18.229
So I tend to shy away from terms like bad food, good food, just because, we try to shun the diet culture here on this podcast.

00:29:18.229 --> 00:29:19.528
So let's be real specific.

00:29:19.528 --> 00:29:28.689
When you say bad choices, what I notice is that my clients will make choices that are for foods that are higher in the carb fat combination.

00:29:29.219 --> 00:29:32.249
Is that what you mean by making bad choices?

00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:39.933
Like I just find that when my clients are tired, they're not like, you know, what I need is a high protein, high fiber breakfast.

00:29:40.074 --> 00:29:40.523
Yes.

00:29:40.814 --> 00:29:49.913
So the high glycemic food, uh, you know, is the problem, uh, like sugar, carbonated beverages, uh, the popcorn, the chips.

00:29:50.084 --> 00:29:52.044
So there's a high glycemic foods.

00:29:52.324 --> 00:29:57.733
So you're likely to tend to, you know, eat that because that's easily accessible.

00:29:57.743 --> 00:30:04.963
You know, the, the great food about, uh, you know, more low glycemic food, like the salad, it's an effort to make, but these are all easy to grab.

00:30:04.963 --> 00:30:05.223
Yeah.

00:30:05.324 --> 00:30:14.733
You know, when you're, you know, tired and sleepy, you just grab for whatever is near you, you know, so that's a, that's a choice like night shift workers to keep themselves awake.

00:30:15.104 --> 00:30:25.594
And there's a higher incidence of, uh, you know, overweight, weight gain in night shift workers because they are tired and they're trying to survive by eating, uh, you know, um, and being more awake.

00:30:26.169 --> 00:30:28.888
This has been super informative about sleep.

00:30:28.898 --> 00:30:36.239
I think, I think most of us know how important sleep is and just anything we can do to improve it is going to help.

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:41.929
I do have one question about sleep apnea and that is, how would we know?

00:30:42.689 --> 00:30:52.079
I, Mentioned to you that my mom had a sleep test and honestly, even though I was the one that got it ordered, cause I help her with all of her medical stuff.

00:30:52.349 --> 00:30:59.900
I can't even remember why we originally ordered that sleep test, but that's when we discovered that she had sleep apnea and.

00:30:59.936 --> 00:31:05.727
it just made me think, how would a person know if they need to be tested for sleep apnea?

00:31:06.386 --> 00:31:06.576
Right.

00:31:06.826 --> 00:31:09.967
So, uh, very easy answer is if you snore.

00:31:10.196 --> 00:31:11.517
See, we talk about sleep apnea.

00:31:11.517 --> 00:31:13.356
There is something, a word before it.

00:31:13.356 --> 00:31:15.086
It's called obstructive sleep apnea.

00:31:15.287 --> 00:31:18.676
So when air goes through a narrow obstructed passage, you snore.

00:31:18.856 --> 00:31:20.517
So that's the easy clue.

00:31:20.727 --> 00:31:24.217
And the next clue is if you are tired during the day, right?

00:31:24.467 --> 00:31:29.207
So even though you sleep, you're waking up multiple times because when you have an apnea, the brain wakes you up.

00:31:29.487 --> 00:31:31.717
So if you snore, if you are tired.

00:31:31.967 --> 00:31:40.517
Then these are the, the, the, and if you have other medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, you know, those can be controlled by treating your sleep apnea.

00:31:40.517 --> 00:31:46.787
So I would say snoring, being tired, and if you have other medical conditions, that's a easy clue to get a lot of sleep apnea.

00:31:47.257 --> 00:31:55.446
Now, um, this is totally like, you know, asking for a friend, but say you're a person, not me, who has snored basically their whole life.

00:31:55.477 --> 00:32:01.586
Like, I have snored since I was pretty young, like, in my twenties and thirties.

00:32:01.616 --> 00:32:06.277
Like, it feels like sleep apnea is something that occurs in older people.

00:32:06.858 --> 00:32:08.808
is that accurate or

00:32:09.135 --> 00:32:19.855
A third of my clients who see me are not overweight, so it is genetic, if the parents have it, there's more reason the child has.

00:32:20.076 --> 00:32:23.076
So if you snore, there's a 90 percent chance you have sleep apnea, right?

00:32:23.355 --> 00:32:23.846
Oh, no.

00:32:24.986 --> 00:32:27.806
The analogy I give is, infection and fever, right?

00:32:28.115 --> 00:32:30.945
So if you have an infection, you're going to have a fever.

00:32:31.165 --> 00:32:32.925
So the infection here is sleep apnea.

00:32:33.280 --> 00:32:37.250
But sometimes people just get hot, you know, there's no infection.

00:32:37.431 --> 00:32:45.020
So that, those are the snorers without sleep apnea and the people with infection are the ones who have the sleep apnea.

00:32:45.020 --> 00:32:48.381
So, so more than likely you have sleep apnea.

00:32:48.381 --> 00:32:51.121
There's a 90 percent chance if you snore you have sleep apnea.

00:32:51.855 --> 00:32:53.185
Well, that's bad news for me.

00:32:53.796 --> 00:32:56.566
Um, don't ask your spouse if you snore.

00:32:56.576 --> 00:32:59.226
Cause then you might end up like me knowing that you snore so much.

00:32:59.955 --> 00:33:02.776
Uh, it's not really a secret in my family though.

00:33:03.078 --> 00:33:03.439
Okay.

00:33:03.439 --> 00:33:04.999
Well, thank you again, Dr.

00:33:04.999 --> 00:33:08.548
John, for all of your wisdom here about sleep.

00:33:08.548 --> 00:33:09.888
Is there anything that we've missed?

00:33:09.888 --> 00:33:13.429
Any last piece of advice that you'd like to offer to the listeners?

00:33:14.330 --> 00:33:19.290
So sleep problems, you know, if you're tired, you know, you don't, please don't put it away.

00:33:19.711 --> 00:33:21.611
It doesn't hurt like a toothache.

00:33:21.621 --> 00:33:22.260
So we don't.

00:33:22.520 --> 00:33:26.421
You know, we have a natural tendency to put that away, but years of that.

00:33:26.746 --> 00:33:27.736
We'll catch up with you.

00:33:28.016 --> 00:33:31.086
But just when you sleep well, you're supercharged.

00:33:31.115 --> 00:33:35.286
You, you can perform more being more awake by sleeping well at night.

00:33:35.286 --> 00:33:44.246
So I just want everybody to discover the power which is free, which is within all of us and be your optimal best so we all can live in, you know, in a much better place.

00:33:44.496 --> 00:33:48.816
Place being happy within ourselves and spreading the joy to everyone.

00:33:48.816 --> 00:33:54.905
So I tell, uh, people that sleep well and be well, you know, I have all this information on my website sleepfixacademy.

00:33:55.836 --> 00:33:56.165
com.

00:33:56.800 --> 00:33:57.131
Perfect.

00:33:57.141 --> 00:33:57.421
Great.

00:33:57.431 --> 00:33:59.510
And also tell us a little bit about your book.

00:34:00.846 --> 00:34:04.435
So my book's called Nobody's Sleeping, uh, Seven Proven Sleep Strategies.

00:34:04.445 --> 00:34:06.455
It was released on the 12th for a week.

00:34:06.455 --> 00:34:08.025
I've been number one and then you.

00:34:08.295 --> 00:34:10.306
Sleep releases in sleep disorders.

00:34:10.356 --> 00:34:12.195
I've talked even just before the show.

00:34:12.195 --> 00:34:13.096
I just sort of curious.

00:34:13.096 --> 00:34:14.655
You want to look at I'm still at number one.

00:34:14.965 --> 00:34:19.175
So there's a lot of need, you know, so I'm excited to share this information.

00:34:19.476 --> 00:34:31.525
So I have different chapters for children, teens, adults, you know, older adults, women, athletes, mental health, you know, diet, you know, so If you want those chapters, you can read it.

00:34:31.735 --> 00:34:32.896
You know, this is a complete book.

00:34:32.896 --> 00:34:34.965
My aim was to design a book for the whole family.

00:34:34.965 --> 00:34:41.735
There's, you know, so they, they can get this resources because I treat all age groups.

00:34:41.735 --> 00:34:43.686
So I just want to share this information with others.

00:34:44.070 --> 00:34:44.340
Great.

00:34:44.340 --> 00:34:45.630
Well, congratulations on that.

00:34:45.641 --> 00:34:46.440
That's great news.

00:34:47.190 --> 00:34:47.561
All right.

00:34:47.561 --> 00:34:48.440
Thanks so much.

00:34:48.451 --> 00:34:50.871
And we'll put all of those links in the show notes.

00:34:50.900 --> 00:34:51.811
Appreciate you being here.

00:34:52.456 --> 00:34:52.715
Thanks.

00:34:53.005 --> 00:34:53.815
I really appreciate it.

00:34:54.304 --> 00:35:07.704
If this episode has helped you in any way, all I ask is for you to share it, share it with a friend or share it on your social media I always get comments when I chat with new clients about how useful the free content is that I put out here on the podcast, but how it's totally different.

00:35:08.065 --> 00:35:17.094
When I'm applying it directly to them, I actually had a recent client say, I listened to so many podcasts, but coaching is like, literally, this is how you do it.

00:35:17.364 --> 00:35:21.594
The fact that it is being spoken directly to me, made me apply it better.

00:35:21.954 --> 00:35:23.425
So I thought that was interesting.

00:35:23.425 --> 00:35:33.175
And if you are looking for that extra bit of personalized help, be sure to schedule your free session with me and see how much you can benefit link for that is in the show notes.

00:35:33.414 --> 00:35:38.215
Have a great week and as always, thanks for listening to the Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well Podcast
Bijoy John, MD Profile Photo

Bijoy John, MD

Author

Bijoy E. John, MD, is a board-certified physician and practicing sleep specialist currently in private
practice with over 25 years of experience in Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Based in
Nashville, TN, he treats both children and adults with various sleep disorders. Dr. John is the founder
and medical director of Sleep Wellness Clinics of America which offers in-person and online
consultation, education, modern diagnostic modalities, home testing, and comprehensive treatment
for a full spectrum of sleep disorders.
He also is the founder of Sleep Fix Academy which offers online courses, podcasts, and other
resources to improve sleep quality, and serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of
Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine.
Dr. John is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, and
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was recognized as one of the Top 100 Physicians in
Nashville for 2022 by My Nashville magazine. Additionally, he received the Top Sleep Specialist
award consecutively from 2015–2020 from Nashville Lifestyle magazine, as voted by his peers and
patients. He is also mentioned in Marquis Who’s Who as one of the Top Sleep Physicians for 2023-24.
Dr. John has been happily married to Dotty for 30 years and is the proud father of two grown children.
He enjoys maintaining his coral reef aquarium, playing ping pong, tennis, golf, and loves to travel.