Sufficient high-quality sleep is key to health and well-being at every age. Yet many parents are chronically sleep-deprived, with women three times more likely than men to struggle with insomnia. Consequences of poor sleep include difficulty with mood regulation, memory, learning, weight gain and other health problems. Too often the strategies we use to try to relax and wind down before bed (a glass of wine, binge-watching a favorite TV show, chatting on social media) end up exacerbating sleep difficulties. But there are simple steps we can take right now to begin to establish patterns that will allow us to get the quality sleep we need and, in turn, ensure that our children do the same.

 

Dr. Shelby Harris, psychologist and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, brings a wealth of concrete, research-based strategies to her discussion with Marti & Erin in this Mom Enough episode. Beyond building good sleep patterns, Dr. Harris also emphasizes that, even if you have a clinical level of insomnia that requires professional help, medication is not necessarily the first line of treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be highly effective and safe and should be tried first. Don’t miss this important and informative discussion about an issue that disrupts so many lives.

 

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DOING WHEN IT COMES TO REST?

What new things did you learn in this interview with Dr. Shelby Harris? What steps could you take to improve your family’s patterns around bedtime?

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SLEEP?

❉ THE WOMEN'S GUIDE TO OVERCOMING INSOMNIA. Check out Dr. Harris's book for women.

❉ IN SEARCH OF A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP: PRACTICAL TIPS FROM DR. HARVEY KARP. Check out this Mom Enough episode with Dr. Harvey Karp, who offers proven tools and techniques for helping children of all ages (and their parents!) get the sleep they need.