After experiencing the profound impacts of the Hamas-Israel war and welcoming my new baby boy, I have a renewed appreciation for the importance of mental health and well-being. This episode of Bodyholic with Di kicks off Season Two with a powerful exploration of how sleep influences our mental health.
This episode is packed with actionable insights - as usual! Join us as we embark on this exciting new season—one that promises to be filled with expert advice, hot health topics, and, most importantly, your invaluable contributions. Share your sleep stories and questions on social media, and let's work together to become our happiest, healthiest selves.
After experiencing the profound impacts of the Hamas-Israel war and welcoming my new baby boy, I have a renewed appreciation for the importance of mental health and well-being. This episode of Bodyholic with Di kicks off Season Two with a powerful exploration of how sleep influences our mental health.
This episode is packed with actionable insights - as usual! Join us as we embark on this exciting new season—one that promises to be filled with expert advice, hot health topics, and, most importantly, your invaluable contributions. Share your sleep stories and questions on social media, and let's work together to become our happiest, healthiest selves.
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Music by AVANT-BEATS Photo by Boris Kuznetz
Di:
Welcome back, bodyholics. I'm Di Katz Shachar, your host, and I'm so excited to be back. So many of you know that the end of season one was pretty complex for me. I had the Hamas-Israel war breaking out on one side, on one end, and changing my life completely. And then, soon after that, I gave birth to a sweet baby boy, which again totally changed my life. But here I am, and lately we've been working. Soon after that, I gave birth to a sweet baby boy, which again totally changed my life.
Di:
But here I am, and lately we've been working so hard to bring you amazing content that is, science-based, cutting edge information to improve your wellbeing and your health, so that you can integrate whatever resonates with you into your life. So that you can integrate whatever resonates with you into your life, so that you can become your happiest and healthiest self. So, yes, we are ready to kick off Season 2 with a brand new episode that is all about sleep, which may have to do with the fact that I'm not sleeping much these days due to a certain baby. But that's enough updates and chit chat. Let's get into what constitutes true beauty sleep. Bodyholic with D, your one-stop shop for science-backed well-being breakthroughs. Forget the fads, ditch the myths. We are here to get you on the fast track to feeling and looking fantastic. So get ready to dive deep into the real deal on your health, happiness and everything in between let's go. Okay, so this is not your typical how to get a good night's rest kind of deal. The kind of deal episode, session, article that you can really learn about everywhere and anywhere.
Di:
No, today we are diving into some fascinating new research that explores the link between your bedtime and your mental health, Because I think this is the topic that really we should use to kick off season two. Because, when it comes to wellbeing, it is honestly becoming abundantly clear due to research and studies that sleep is the top dog of health. So listen up, because this might surprise you. I personally was super surprised myself reading the research and the studies, so I've got to share this with you. Check this out. Did you know that simply going to bed after 1am could put you at a higher risk of developing mental health problems? So a recent study from Imperial College London found exactly that. The researchers looked at the biobank data from 73,888 people in the UK and even for those who slept the recommended seven hours per night, those who consistently went to sleep after 1am had worse mental health outcomes. So I found this so curious and super interesting, because why does your bedtime, the time that you go to sleep, matter more than the total amount of sleep you get per night? I mean, we we all know about the seven to eight hour recommended time.
Di:
Basically, it all boils down to your body's natural rhythm, which is also known as your circadian rhythm. When you stay up late, you disrupt this internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep, to stay asleep and get the kind of deep, restorative sleep that your brain needs so much. It basically just craves it. So let me put it um, let me put it in another way. Think of your circadian rhythm as the conductor of your internal orchestra, of your internal orchestra. When everything plays in harmony, you feel energized, laser focused. But when your sleep schedule clashes with your natural rhythm, it creates a chaotic, dissonant symphony that pretty much throws everything off. I know you know exactly what I mean. You know that feeling when you're foggy or you're just, in general, feeling unfocused or forgetful, that whole mishmashy and unpleasant state. So you can already guess that maybe late nights don't just mess with your sleep stages, but they really, truly mess with your brain chemistry too.
Di:
So staying up late actually suppresses melatonin production. Melatonin is that hormone that regulates your sleep, the sleep wake cycle. This means less time spent in deep sleep and REM sleep, which turns out are crucial for your emotional wellbeing and cognitive function. And to go even further, lack of quality sleep also prevents your brain from clearing out toxins and waste products, so it basically builds up and this is what leads to that foggy mind. It literally is foggy, and another really sucky part is that it can actually lead to a weakened immune system, which personally let's take a moment for a personal note I feel like I experienced this every time I deal with prolonged sleep deprivation. I just I just get sick and uh, and on top of that, to top it off, it also increases the risk of anxiety and depression.
Di:
So I know that we're getting a little bit gloomy here, and I do want to give you the upside of this, the good news. So here's the positive information. The good news is that you can actively improve your mental health. Right, you can actively improve your mental health by simply adjusting your sleep routine. Of course, the sleep is a mere component, and if you are taking psychiatric medication or if you're in need for psychiatric care. Please do not make a single move without consulting your psychiatrist and or your physician.
Di:
So I want to move on to talk about this awesome lady named Dr Sophie Bostock. She's a renowned sleep expert and the founder of the Sleep Scientist, which is a platform that's dedicated to making sleep research more accessible. So currently she works as an independent sleep evangelist. She's out there helping her clients improve their sleep and, with her extensive academic and practical experience in sleep and sleep science and psychology, bostock is, honestly, a leading expert in the field, and she talks about how improving your sleep can have greater benefits than simply doing well in terms of diet and exercise. So, when it comes to overall health and well-being, sleep is crucial, and she lists seven science-based, game-changing habits that I think we should all try to adopt. Ready, you might want your pen and paper for this.
Di:
One consistency is key. We want to aim for a regular sleep schedule. We want to aim for a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up around the same time each day, even on the weekends, and this really, really helps regulate your circadian rhythm. I have been practicing this for maybe 18 years or more, and it's it's a game changer. Two is get some bright light exposure, especially in the morning, because it signals to your body that it's daytime. And personally also, this is something I practice and this is as crucial for me as coffee, if I'm being honest. So coffee and bright light. The other thing is minding your meals, so giving your body enough time to digest by avoiding heavy meals close to bedtime. Then let's talk about embracing that sunshine, so even night owls can benefit from waking up with sunrise, and this really ties back to the bright light exposure. So waking up with sunrise, it also signals to your body that it's daytime. I also want you to listen to your body, experiment and find which schedule works best for you. For me, I know that the earlier I go down, the better I am. I am an absolute morning person and it took me some time to figure this out A lot of trial and error. So research yourself. I highly highly recommend it. We're all different and getting in tune with your circadian rhythm is crucial. You'll thank me later.
Di:
The other thing is calm before bedtime. So creating a relaxing bedtime routine to wind down and prepare your mind for sleep and this is not always easy, I know this, like last night I conked out with my baby no calm, no, nothing in my jeans, but but if possible, it really sets you up for a great night's sleep. And now this one is the hardest one for me De-stress. She talks about de-stressing for sleep success. So journaling or other methods can help you process emotions before bed, basically letting out whatever energy or emotion that you have bottled up from over the day and just get it off your mind. That one's hard for me. So maybe that's my big takeaway.
Di:
And in general, the big takeaway from this solo session, I believe, is that good sleep isn't just about feeling well-rested, it's about protecting your mental health. So really try to ditch the late nights and prioritize a sleep schedule that works with your body's natural rhythm. You can make simple changes and then access a healthier and happier you just with these little changes. So and honestly I'm also saying this for myself, let me put that out there. So I really need to start working on this, especially on that last one, you know, purging any negativity. Um, because for me, like when the kids go down, all I want to do is plop myself in front of the computer, the phone or the TV and just let that put me to sleep, so let me know if you've got that challenge too. All right, hit me up.
Di:
Thank you so much for joining me on this first episode of season two. You guys, if you have any questions or sleep struggles that you'd like to share, please leave a comment on the YouTube or on the bodyholic Instagram or in general. If you feel like you want to reach out on social media and just chat away and make requests, please, please, do so. We have so much information coming your way this season Incredibly incredibly worthy guests, very hot health and well-being topics. So please subscribe and please share, because it'll be such a value-filled journey and I'm so excited to do it together with you. I'll see you next week, thank you.
