In this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, one of the foremost experts on sleep and the Medical Director of Sleep Medicine for Millennium Physician Group, to discuss how sleep impacts health, memory, and how COVID has impacted an entire country’s sleep habits. Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg breaks down sleep’s impact on the lymphatic system, metabolism, cognitive abilities, and more. She even discusses the benefits and harms of taking naps.
It is something we need to survive, but the more we try to obtain it, the more it can evade us: sleep. Looking at the clock throughout the night, scrolling on smartphones until our eyes shut, or sleeping with televisions on, many Americans do not create ideal, sleep-conducive settings for themselves, which can cause harm.
Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg helps listeners understand the ways their lifestyle might be negatively impacting their quantity and quality of sleep, as well as offers suggestions for improving one’s sleep schedule. Limiting screen exposure before bed, avoiding a nightcap or nighttime snack before bed, ensuring the room is dark and at a cooler temperature, and not looking at the clock if you wake up, are just a few suggestions offered in this episode.
“Evaluate the whole picture. And I'm not saying that everybody needs to make all these changes all at once, but pick and choose a couple of changes and see what you can do to try to improve the quality of your sleep,” says Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg.
Name: Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, M.D., FAASM, FAAN
What she does: As a Board-certified Sleep Medicine Physician, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg serves on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and is the Medical Director of Sleep Medicine for Millennium Physician Group. She has been interviewed for numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, and US World Report.
Company: Millennium Physician
Words of wisdom: “Sleep is one of those things you have to allow to happen. You cannot force yourself to fall asleep. And so you have to set up the best circumstances to make sure that your environment is conducive to sleep, and you have to allow it to happen naturally.”
Top takeaways from this episode
[07:00] Steady pace rather than sprint: Dr. Abassi-Feinberg talks about the body’s natural “circadian rhythm.” While naps can sometimes be beneficial, particularly depending on a person’s work schedule, it is still best to aim for long, patterned stretches of sleep rather than short spurts.
[12:00] COVID-somnia: In July of 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, conducted a survey that found more than 20% of adults felt their quantity and quality of sleep was less. COVID-somnia is the bucket term used for talking about the negative effects of COVID on sleep.
[16:53] The dream team: Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg says, in order to feel truly refreshed, a combination of both deep sleep and REM sleep is needed. Cycling through the different sleep patterns is essential to waking up feeling rested.
[18:52] Don’t look: According to Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg, waking up during the night is normal but looking at the clock is what causes issues. Consistently looking at the clock when you wake up actually trains yourself to make that a pattern each night.
[24:36] Limit light exposure: While light in the morning is great for waking up, limiting light exposure in the evening, especially when winding down, is crucial leading up to a good night’s sleep.
[25:33] Big picture thinking: Some people like to enjoy a nightcap or snack before bed. According to Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg, however, both can be disruptive to sleep and cause more awakenings and poorer sleep quality.
[29:45] Getting help: If you are unsure if you need professional help with your sleep, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg suggests going to SleepEducation.org to assess your needs and find a sleep center near you.
[31:28] Big thanks: Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg says she owes many thanks for professional guidance to Dr. Susan Esther, who is the past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors, dentists, and those whose work can help them to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists throughout the U.S. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at http://www.sdtplanning.com . You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP®, at shane@prosperousdoc.com.
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Top quotes from the episode:
[13:11] “I think that that lack of routine really affected us. It turns out that sleep is part of our natural biological rhythm. So, we do best when we wake up at a certain time and go to sleep at a certain time. All of a sudden, we didn't have to get up and commute to work. We didn't get exposure to light outside by having to get up at a certain time. The kids were being homeschooled. I think the dysregulation of our day-to-day activities certainly played a humongous role in COVID-somnia.”
[28:00] “Most teenagers tend to be somewhat sleep-deprived. Actually, most Americans tend to be somewhat sleep-deprived. Now, sleep is not like a bank account, where you can sleep in on the weekends and therefore fill your bank account up and then use it all week long. But it is helpful to get enough sleep, to have some catch-up sleep on the weekends if the teenagers are not getting quite enough sleep during the week.”
[30:06] “People will get some information off the websites and try to change some of their habits before they come to see someone like me. If it's not working, if you need more help, talk to your primary care provider, and then if they feel that you need more care, they'll refer you to somebody like me, and I can help you with more details.”