A lot of us may have to think back to a time before the pandemic to remember what it felt like to get a good night's sleep. But if you're someone living with MS, you might have to think back even further. Research tells us that more than half the people living with MS report significant disruptions in their sleep and difficulty maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. And that can lead to additional health issues along with an overall decline in quality of life and wellbeing.     My guest is Dr. Katie Siengsukon,  a physical therapist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Sleep, Health, and Wellness Lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. We're talking about the importance of sleep to your overall health, how sleep problems affect MS, and the steps you can take if you're experiencing sleep problems.    We're also talking about how the things that people affected by MS care most about really boil down to public policy decisions, making MS advocacy a critical element of this podcast. And while we're on the subject of advocacy, we're sharing our rant about a recently announced "healthcare plan" for the United States.   You'll hear about what I'm calling a wellness roadmap for people living with MS.   We'll give you the details of a newly-announced collaboration designed to produce a diagnostic test for a protein called neurofilament light chain -- and why that will be a game-changer for people living with MS.   And we'll tell you about a clinical trial that will be starting soon for a therapy designed to reduce or eliminate MS disease activity by re-educating your immune system.    We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

Why it's always about MS advocacy  1:25

My rant about the "healthcare plan" that was just announced  5:00

Maintaining your physical, nutritional, and emotional wellness amid COVID-19    11:57

Here comes a diagnostic test for neurofilament light chain...and why it will be a game-changer for people living with MS  16:57

"Re-educating" your immune system. A Phase 1 clinical trial for ANK-700 begins soon  19:44

My Interview with Dr. Katie Siengsukon  22:17

Share this episode  34:44

Donate to the National MS Society COVID-19 Response Fund  35:07

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LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

Give RealTalk MS a Rating and Review

National MS Society's Ask An MS Expert Video Replay

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Vote.gov

Health Behaviors, Wellness, and Multiple Sclerosis Amid COVID-19

RealTalk MS Episode 142: New Guidelines for Exercise & Physical Activity from the National MS Society

RealTalk MS Episode 159: Building Resilience with Dr. Dawn Ehde

Anokion: What is Immune Tolerance?

National MS Society COVID-19 Response Fund

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RealTalk MS Episode 161 Guests: Dr. Katie Siengsukon

Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, MSActivist, Sleep, Vote, RealTalkMS

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