Sleep is My Waking Passion

Julie Flygare, JD, is President and CEO of Project Sleep as well as an awarding-winning author of Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy. She is internationally recognized as a patient-perspective leader and is an accomplished advocate living with with type 1 narcolepsy. She shares her journey and experiences in this podcast episode. She discusses her involvement in sleep advocacy and policy, the challenges she faced in getting a diagnosis, and the impact of medication on her treatment. Julie also talks about the emotional journey of living with narcolepsy and the importance of social support. She shares her passion for running marathons and finding endurance, and emphasizes the need for holistic approaches and medication in managing narcolepsy. In this conversation, Julie Flygare discusses various aspects of narcolepsy, including understanding the condition, diagnosing it, managing symptoms, and finding support. She emphasizes the importance of education, self-advocacy, and social support in coping with narcolepsy. Julie also highlights the evolving nature of people's experiences with the condition and encourages trying different approaches to find what works best for each individual.

Takeaways

• Sleep advocacy and policy play a crucial role in improving sleep health and raising awareness about sleep disorders.
• Getting a diagnosis for narcolepsy can be a long and challenging process, often requiring self-awareness and persistence.
• Medication is an important part of managing narcolepsy, but finding the right treatment and dosage can be a trial-and-error process.
• Living with narcolepsy involves not only physical symptoms but also emotional and social challenges, requiring support and understanding from loved ones.
• Engaging in activities like running marathons can be empowering for individuals with narcolepsy, but it's important to prioritize self-care and adapt to limitations.
• Social support and connecting with others who have narcolepsy can provide validation and understanding, helping individuals navigate their journey.
• Holistic approaches, such as lifestyle changes and supplements, can complement medication in managing narcolepsy, but individual experiences may vary.

Jackie is nurse, mom of three, and certified nutrition, physique, and bodybuilding coach who has expanded my understanding of proper nutrition and how to create practical changes to your lifestyle to achieve your health goals permanently. She is a Women's Health coach with Team Biolayne. Have a listen because creating a lifestyle that is healthy and joyful is hard! But remarkably easy to do when you schedule the time. Shifting mindset and priorities can make the seemingly impossible achievable. 

Weight reduction significantly alleviates various symptoms associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), such as excessive daytime sleepiness. It also markedly improves irritability and other neuropsychiatric issues. This improvement extends to cardiovascular health, effectively lowering risks of high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, thereby enhancing overall quality of life. In moderately obese patients, a 10-15% loss in weight can lead to a 50% reduction in OSA severity. Consequently, one of my sustained treatment strategies for addressing sleep apnea includes building muscle and losing fat.

You can find out more about Jackie and sign up to work with her at:

https://biolayne.com/coach/jacqueline-llovet/

On Instagram: @nutritionwithnursejackie

Marissa Sharkey is a registered dietician with 7 years of clinical experience working with patients of all ages, both in and out of the hospital. She and I worked closely side-by-side in the ICU at our local hospital, and I can tell you there is nothing like being in the trenches and knowing you have a friend who has your back. She is a master at optimizing nutrition in the critically ill. She has now pivoted to working with nurses suffering from the effects of poor sleep, poor nutrition, and chronic burn out. She highlights for us the epidemic of poor body image, and we discuss how this shame spiral can negatively impact our sleep, and offers advice on hacks to overcome negative thinking about your body. 

Marissa is available for consultation at https://www.usenourish.com/home-lp for patients who have insurance coverage for nutrition services. 

For nurses looking for more personalized nutrition advice, please check out her Instagram handle nutritionwithmarissa and click on the link to schedule your free discovery call! 

Prefer blogs? Check out ASKtheSleepMD.com, your free educational resource on this topic and more, reference links included! 

I am a fellowship-trained and Board Certified Sleep Medicine specialist, and chronic insomniac turned sleep biohacker, who is on a mission to empower my listeners to improve their sleep naturally.  Season 3 drops on January 24.

Stacy Ochoa, DDS, D-ABDSM,FICOI lives in Missouri with her husband and 4 children, and is passionate about dental sleep medicine. Stacy started her journey in Dental Sleep Medicine 20 years ago when her Dad was found to be CPAP intolerant. She went on to receive specialized training in sleep dentistry and treats adults and children. 

She is one of the co-founders of ASAP Pathway, an educational program designed to educate healthcare professionals on best practices in identifying kids at risk for sleep apnea early in their development and management of kids with sleep apnea. Have a listen to find out how to spot the signs that your child might have sleep apnea, and what a trained pediatric sleep dentist can do for your child. 

https://asappathway.com/

https://myprecisiondental.com/

Dr. Lee Surkin, MD is board-certified in Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology, and Sleep Medicine. He is also the President of Empire Sleep Medicine and Founder of the American Academy of Cardiovascular and Sleep Medicine (AACSM).  In this eye-opening episode, we explore how the quality and duration of our sleep directly impacts our cardiovascular system. Whether you're a night owl or an early bird, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand and improve their heart health through better sleep. Stay tuned as we uncover the secrets of sleep and its profound influence on our heart's well-being. Let's begin our journey to a healthier heart, starting right now.

Learn more about the AACSM at: https://aacsm.org/

Dr. Indira G and I got a chance to discuss why biology in teens must be respected. Sleep deprivation is a public health epidemic. Approximately 80% of high school teens are chronically sleep deprived! Why? Because the majority of our teens have a delayed circadian rhythm. They are tired later and naturally want to get up later. In addition, they have higher demands placed upon them to succeed, and constant exposure to technology. 

Behavioral change is simply insufficient. The reality is that we need systemic change to improve the sleep health of our children. Please have a listen because the science is there, It is paramount that we come together to address barriers to implementing later school start times. The health of our children depends upon us to make those hard choices, working together to resolve conflicts, address concerns, and move start times later for our teens. 

Have OSA and Can't Sleep? You may have both OSA and insomnia, aka COMISA. Alex Sweetman and his colleagues are actively investigating COMISA and how it impacts our health. On this episode we talk about what we know so far, what we want to know, and the challenges it creates for treatment. Spoiler alert: I truly was amazed to discover how effective cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can be in this population. Definitely an eye-opening discussion.

Together, Joselyne and I review the brand new 2023 recommendations for healthy sleep in shift workers, published in Sleep. This is a MUST LISTEN if you are a shift worker. Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad182

Joselyn John is a sleep science coach with deep personal experience navigating the night shift as a nurse. She shares her amazing journey from refugee to career nurse turned sleep educator. She is the real deal, and has reviewed the literature on how lack of sleep caused by shift work negatively impacts our health.

You can learn more about Jocelyn, purchase her book "Sleep Tight" , and book a free consultation at  https://sleepishealth.com/