16: Improve Your Sleep with Amy Sedgwick, MD, FACEP

Let’s dive into the world of sleep and its effects on our physical and mental health. Today’s guest, Dr. Amy Sedgwick, is a board-certified and practicing emergency physician and a yoga and meditation teacher – putting her in the perfect position to help us unpack the importance of sleep duration and quality from varied perspectives.

In this episode, Amy and Rachel talk about how she found her calling and how both her colleagues and her patients benefit from healthy stress relief outlets like yoga and meditation. Amy shares tips for falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting high-quality sleep even when your personal life is hectic. She also talks about how to find the tools that work for for you and why we should trust our “earth suits” over the latest trends in sleep science.

Listen in to learn the negative effects of poor sleep quality or duration over the long-term, why Amy sleeps in the cold, and ways to honor your natural sleep rhythms.

“I wanted to be the kind of person who, in the moment of need, knew what to do and how to help.” – Amy Sedgwick

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS. AND BE SURE TO LEAVE US A RATING AND REVIEW!

“I like to help people in the know to empower people who are not in the know.” – Amy Sedgwick

Show Notes:

How Amy found her way to emergency medicine [6:26]
Processing the stress and tragedy of emergency medical work [7:52]
The Yin & Yang of Amy’s yoga journey [9:07]
The underrated impact of recovery [11:55]
Self-care for health workers [12:37]
The call to teach yoga [14:35]
Navigating a career in the ER with being a yoga teacher and studio owner [19:02]
Effects of insufficient sleep quality or duration over the long-term [24:10]
Honoring natural, seasonal rhythms [30:12]
Human sleep cycles and REM vs non-REM sleep [31:55]
How do we know if we have slept well? [33:13]
Tips for better sleep duration and quality [35:45]
How alcohol and late meals affect sleep [37:23]
Evening wind-down routines, electronics and blue light [39:30]
Blue light and sleep – evening vs morning practices [43:24]
Morning routines also impact sleep quality and duration [44:13]
Tips for people who wake up in the middle of the night [49:20]
Mitigating the impact of periods of low sleep quality [53:01]
Final thoughts, including sleep trackers [57:57]