Why Sleep Matters and How to Improve It with Dr. Heather Gunn, PhD (Part 1 of 2)

Episode 33. This week I sat down with Dr. Heather Gunn, PhD. Dr. Gunn is an Assistant Professor at University of Alabama and a licensed Clinical Psychologist. In her role, she is engaged in research, teaching, mentoring, and service. Her goal is for individuals to have meaningful and engaging (and autonomy granting!) relationships and to be able to have restful sleep. Away from the office, she enjoys walking phone dates, exercise, baking, reading, and spending time with her husband and son and dog and cat.  "Sleep is important." Well, duh. I know you probably already know that sleep matters for your health, but in this conversation we are going to cover a take on sleep you probably never considered. Heather's area of focus is on sleep and interpersonal relationships, so we are going to cover standard behavioral treatments for sleep, and also how your relationship to people in your life, yourself, and your feelings of psychological safety matter a TON. We had SO much important stuff to cover, that this is Part 1 of a 2 part series. Here's What You Can Expect: How much sleep do we need? (Hint: There isn't a hard and fast rule for everyone, and Heather will tell you how to know what the right amount for you is)"I don't have time to sleep!" How to recognize what you are trying to get for yourself by staying awake, and what to do about it.Ways to improve your sleep if you are having mild insomnia (wanting to sleep but you can't), or have had it for 15 years.How sleep relates to eating and weightWhy sleep got worse for so many of us during the pandemic and how to approach sleep during times of transitionHow hyperarousal and psychological safety relate to sleepHow much your physiology gets synced with the people around you and how this relates to sleep (and eating!) New to the Podcast and Blog? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustai