Degrees of Health Dr Prerna Varma, Phd | Insomnia and Circadian Rhythm Disruption
This episode explores the 3-P model of insomnia (Predisposition, Precipitation, and Perpetuation), the effects of sleep deprivation and disturbance on cognitive function, and the risks faced by shift workers and healthcare professionals from chronic sleep loss. The conversation also details the intricate relationship between our natural circadian rhythms, guided by light exposure, that are disrupted by many modern practices, and the potential for better aligning our biological clocks with nature through innovative tools and routines.
Ben and Prerna also discuss sleep chronotypes - night owls and morning larks - busting myths around later sleepers being lazier and whether society may benefit from observing these patterns. Without prescription, Prerna shares how consistency in sleep can lead to better health outcomes and how technology can both hinder and enhance our sleep health.
Dr Prerna Varma, PhD, is a Psychology Research Fellow in the School of Psychological Sciences at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in Australia. Prerna is deeply committed to examining as well as addressing sleep and mental health in underserved populations, including caregivers, people living with dementia, culturally diverse and other minoritised communities. She engages in and advocates for increasing public health awareness with the intent to improve sleep outcomes in our communities.
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Studies mentioned or related to this episode:
Sleep regularity and mortality: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad253 ; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32402-5 ; https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295231v1.full.pdf
Insomnia and stress during COVID: https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2022.2074996
Initial Testing of SleepSync app with shift workers: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20552076231165972
Sleep and relationship conflicts: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550613488952 ; https://doi.org/10.1097%2FPSY.0b013e3181ecd08a ;
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056503/
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