Sleep: Dr. Pam Peeke of Embr Labs On Why You Should Make Getting A Good Night’s Sleep A Major Priority In Your Life, And How You Can Make That Happen

Clean up your sleep hygiene: the bed is for sleep not work. Put work devices in another room.

Getting a good night’s sleep has so many physical, emotional, and mental benefits. Yet with all of the distractions that demand our attention, going to sleep on time and getting enough rest has become extremely elusive to many of us. Why is sleep so important and how can we make it a priority?

In this interview series called “Sleep: Why You Should Make Getting A Good Night’s Sleep A Major Priority In Your Life, And How You Can Make That Happen” we are talking to medical and wellness professionals, sleep specialists, and business leaders who sell sleep accessories to share insights from their knowledge and experience about how to make getting a good night’s sleep a priority in your life.

As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Dr. Pam Peeke

Dr. Pam Peeke is the Chief Medical Officer of Embr Labs — the leading thermal wellness company, an internationally recognized physician, scientist, expert and New York Times bestselling author.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your backstory?

I was one of the first integrative and lifestyle medicine physician-scientists. I’ve always believed in viewing a person holistically, as a whole in mind, body and spirit. And I walk the talk. I am a Senior Olympic triathlete, sit on their board, as well as the board of the American College of Sports Medicine. I hold two master’s degrees in epidemiology and public policy, and was trained as a senior science fellow at the National Institutes of Health. I am also a Pew Foundation Scholar in metabolism. I’m a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and am a thought leader at the Harvard University Institute of Coaching. Presently, I am Chief Medical Officer for Embr Labs, makers of a thermal device that, through warming and cooling, enhances sleep.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this particular career path?

I went to a renowned high school that had more advanced placement classes than regular ones. In the Fall of my senior year I was asked what “pre” should go in front of my name — no clue. So, I was asked what I liked, and replied people, science, math. I was then told that it sounded pre-med, and we went with that. Starting college, I volunteered at free clinics and ER’s to confirm medicine was my path. I loved it. The rest is history.

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the sleep and wellness fields? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

My NIH research revolved around stress hormone’s effects on the mind and body. As we discovered, if cortisol is too high, you cannot fall asleep. We made critical connections between stress and sleep, performing basic and clinical science research.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness, and a Good Night’s Sleep by William Dement — who was the founder and director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center. Dement’s book was one of the first to explain the science behind sleep. He actually conducted sleep camps for people to learn about sleep and how to improve sleep. Then there’s Mathew Walker’s Why We Sleep. He is a top-level sleep researcher at my alma mater UC Berkeley.

Both authors are smart and articulate, and they make it easy to understand.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,” Helen Keller. Let’s just say I’m never afraid of the daring adventure.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Let’s start with the basics. How much sleep should an adult get? Is there a difference between people who are young, middle-aged, or elderly?

Adults to age 65 should get 7–9 hours of high-quality sleep each night. After that age, it is 7–8 hours. When it comes to kids 6–12 years should get 9–12 hours, and those aged 13–18 years 8–10 hours.

Is the amount of hours the main criteria, or the time that you go to bed? For example, if there was a hypothetical choice between getting to bed at 10AM and getting up at 4AM, for a total of 6 hours, or going to bed at 2AM and getting up at 10AM for a total of 8 hours, is one a better choice for your health? Can you explain?

The body follows the rules of circadian rhythm. Ideally, metabolism and hormone secretion is locked into these body clocks. Awakening and metabolizing food is most ideal 6am-6pm. Sleep is controlled by the light/dark phases of the 24/hrs. Eating and going to sleep very late upset the circadian rhythm resulting in general metabolic dysfunction.

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for our readers. Let’s imagine a hypothetical 35-year-old adult who was not getting enough sleep. After working diligently at it for 6 months he or she began to sleep well and got the requisite hours of sleep. How will this person’s life improve? Can you help articulate some of the benefits this person will see after starting to get enough sleep? Can you explain?

· Maintain optimal overall metabolic function throughout the body, including hormonal secretion.

· Better weight control as sleep deprivation causes the appetite and hunger hormones to become dysfunctional.

· More energy in the morning to stick to healthy lifestyle habits like exercise and mindful eating.

· Less depression, moodiness, greater cognitive performance.

· Boosting immune function.

· Decreased overall inflammation.

· During sleep the brain and body clears toxic waste

Many things provide benefits but they aren’t necessarily a priority. Should we make getting a good night’s sleep a major priority in our life? Can you explain what you mean?

Everyone should live a more sleep-centric life. If you do not get appropriate, high-quality sleep, you cannot function mentally or physically.

The truth is that most of us know that it’s important to get better sleep. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives? How should we remove those obstacles?

Not a priority: educate to show the dire consequences if you do not sleep. Keep a ROUTINE of when you go to sleep and wake up, stop the chaotic living.

Terrible sleep hygiene: you’re eating and working from your bed; your bedroom is a disaster area. Turn off your devices no less than an hour, ideally two hours, prior to going to sleep; clean up the bedroom and commit that it’s ONLY for sleeping.

Eating and drinking too late: no alcohol within 2 hours of sleep; eating trash in front of the tube is a recipe for terrible sleep.

Do you think getting “good sleep” is more difficult today than it was in the past?

We’ve always had stress, but it’s different now. We can now stay up 24/7 thanks to devices and lighting. We have all but destroyed our natural circadian rhythm. All of this can be reversed.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share “5 things you need to know to get the sleep you need and wake up refreshed and energized”? If you can, kindly share a story or example for each.

· Set the clock and stick to it. Habits take 60 days to cement so stay focused.

· Clean up your sleep hygiene: the bed is for sleep not work. Put work devices in another room.

· Stop eating junk food until all hours, and definitely end alcohol two hours prior to sleep.

· Exercise that day! It absolutely guarantees you’ll fall asleep for high quality sleep.

· Avoid arguments, interactions with people who upset you before you go to bed.

What would you advise someone who wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep?

Turn on spa like music to lull you to sleep.

Meditate using any method that works for you.

Journal at that moment to get something off your mind.

What are your thoughts about taking a nap during the day? Is that a good idea, or can it affect the ability to sleep well at night?

20-min naps are fine, but no more.

Wonderful. We are nearly done. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Helen Mirren

How can our readers further follow your work online?

@PamPeekeMD Twitter and Instagram, Facebook , www.drpeeke.com, and I host the top women’s health and lifestyle HER radio podcast http://radiomd.com/show/her

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!