79. The Sleep Expert | Get to sleep and stay asleep

Sleep expert Mike Stone, MD joins us for a conversation about how to sleep well (and strategies to do it poorly!)  We cover: how sleep cleans your brain, alcohol, caffeine, a pragmatic approach to wearables, light exposure, the villainy of devices before bed, cannabinoids, heat, room temp, and night shifts.  Guest Bio: Dr. Mike Stone has been in medical practice for almost 20 years, and currently serves as the Chief Education Officer at Wild Health. Dr. Stone has held academic appointments at Harvard Medical School and UCSF, and has received multiple national awards for education, innovation, and leadership in medicine. He has spent the bulk of his career focusing on educating students, trainees, and colleagues. Mike is obsessed with optimal health and peak performance, with a deep interest in the effects of lifestyle interventions to improve longevity and cognitive function. He is currently focused on knowledge translation for healthcare practitioners, striving to empower practitioners with practical techniques to competently construct strategies and tactics for their patients' health optimization. Awake and Aware | Our 2024 Live Event Join us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Mitigate stress and stay cool under pressure. Create the mindset you want and lock it in. Limited slots. Website: Awakeandawarebend.com 16.25 Hours Category 1 AMA CME The Flameproof CourseCohorts 1 and 2 sold out. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. This is the hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Get the deets Coming soon: Out on TimeStay out of chart debt. Document like a legend. Get home on time! Love medicine, but the job itself leaves a lot to be desired? I work with many docs in your shoes. To learn more about 1-on-1 coaching, start here.

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website We discuss:What is sleep and why it is important [04:00];The benefits of exposure to morning sun early in the day and limiting light exposure later in the day [08:00];A primer on sleep stages [09:30];How to use wearable sleep trackers smartly [13:45]; Alcohol and sleep [16:40];Light, blue light and screen time before bed [24:00];The physiology of caffeine [26:15];Cannabinoids as a sleep aid [29:30];Heat – what is the ideal room temperature for optimal sleep? [34:00];Other sleep hygiene ideas [38:20];Natural predilection:  the early bird vs. the night owl [40:10];l. Damage control for night shift-associated sleep disturbance [43:45];Melatonin questions [58:00];