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Today's Takeaway with Florine Mark


Mar 7, 2022

With Diane Macedo, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist on ABC News

 

Do you typically have trouble falling asleep or wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours? Getting a good night’s sleep can be a major challenge for some people. If left untreated, it can possibly lead to long-term health risks such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or a weakened immune system. A variety of things can disrupt our sleep or keep us awake at night. Stress is a big factor, but also things like too much light or noise or what we eat and drink can interfere with our ability to sleep. Conditions such as sleep apnea or acid reflux can also affect the quality of our sleep.

 

My guest today, Diane Macedo, is an Emmy award-winning journalist. In addition to being the daytime anchor on ABC News, Diane frequently appears on Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight. Diane’s job as a reporter can lead to erratic hours, and her sleep is frequently disrupted by her work schedule. When Diane developed chronic insomnia and was told that in order to get more sleep she might have to quit her dream job, she was determined to find another way to treat it and put her investigative skills to work. In her research, Diane learned that chronic insomnia is incredibly common; affecting as many as 30‒60% of adults. A lot of people assume once a bad sleeper, always a bad sleeper. Contrary to popular belief, insomnia and other sleep disorders may be learned behaviors that are treatable. Thankfully, Diane found ways to treat her own sleep issues that didn’t rely on sleeping pills or quitting her job. Her book, The Sleep Fix, includes solutions for people with sleep issues and disorders to get a better night’s sleep. She shares some of those tips with us today.

 

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

  • How did Diane’s work schedule disrupt her sleep?
  • How our biology affects our circadian rhythm.
  • How much sleep do we need?
  • Do we need more sleep as we get older?
  • What kinds of overnight jobs did Diane have?
  • How does insomnia differ from sleep deprivation?
  • When do we get the best quality sleep?
  • How can we adjust temperature and light to get better sleep?
  • Can melatonin and other sleeping pills be helpful?
  • What is it like working on Good Morning America?
  • The goal and the message of Diane’s book The Sleep Fix.

 

Quotes:

  • “When we try to force ourselves to sleep at a time that our body is not ready to, we can create something called conditioned arousal.” — Diane
  • “If you spend enough time awake and worried in bed, your brain will start to associate bed with the place that you are supposed to be awake and worried.” — Diane
  • “It is part of our biology; when our circadian rhythm starts to send us wake signals and when it then starts to send us sleep signals at night.” — Diane

Today’s Takeaway: Sleep deprivation and insomnia are at an all-time high these days with an estimated 30‒60% of the population suffering from insomnia. If you frequently find yourself feeling tired or out of sorts during the day, even if you went to bed early the night before, then you may be suffering from sleep deprivation. If you’re struggling with insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other sleep disorders, then you want to read Diane’s book The Sleep Fix. Also, be sure to see your doctor! In trying to understand the cause of her own inability to sleep, Diane wrote a comprehensive book that explains why we can’t sleep and details the relationship between the various causes behind insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Best of all, the book gives concrete step-by-step solutions on how to diagnose a variety of sleep issues and how to correct them. There are so many reasons why we can’t sleep and Diane’s book provides helpful suggestions for each of them. It’s important that if your problems persist you seek medical advice. Remember that every single day is a gift, and having a healthy mind and body means getting enough sleep. So why not give yourself the gift of a better night’s sleep by doing all that you can to create an optimum sleep environment and routine for you. I’m Florine Mark and that’s “Today’s Takeaway.”

 

Brought to You By:

Gardner White Furniture

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Sleep Fix

Diane Macedo