Community Education

   Pathways to Bettering Sleep

Sara Nowakowski National Women's Day Video 1 of 2

Sara Nowakowski National Women's Day Video 2 of 2

Stimulus Control

Michael Grandner, PhD, DBSM
Director Sleep & Health Research Program
Director Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic
University of Arizona

Stimulus control is way to gain control over your insomnia through reclaiming the bed for sleep. This technique is beneficial for all ages and is effective for short-term and chronic insomnia. Listen to learn how to improve your sleep through integrating the steps for effective stimulus control.

Investigating InZomnia

Christina Pierpaoli Parker, PhD
Graduate Student, Clinical Geropsychology
Graduate Council Research Fellow
University of Alabama/Alabama Research Institute

Insomnia is the most common sleep disturbance later in life. Social stressors combined with untreated insomnia will impact our health and well-being.  Learn some easy strategies to reduce insomnia and benefit from improving your sleep.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Christina Pierpaoli Parker, PhD
Graduate Student, Clinical Geropsychology
Graduate Council Research Fellow
University of Alabama/Alabama Research Institute

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence based short-term treatment for insomnia manifested by difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep.  It impacts adolescents, adults, and older adults and focused on our thoughts and behaviors that sabotage our sleep. Hear about some suggestions Dr. Pierpaoli Parker has for improving our sleep when sleep is elusive.

Be ProACTIVE

Sara Nowakowski, PhD, DBSM
Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Research Health Scientist, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Exercise and Behavioral Activation describes how exercise can help to uplift your mood, reduce stress level, and improve sleep. Listen to tips provided by Dr Nowakowski to help you sleep better at night invest in exercise and activity for as little as 10 minutes each day. 

Consistency is Key

Sara Nowakowski, PhD, DBSM
Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Research Health Scientist, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

A consistent wake up time describes the benefits of establishing a regular pattern to wake and rise at the same time each morning even on the weekend. This helps to strengthen your body clock to improve sleep and improve your health. Dr Nowakowski shares easy strategies to create a normal routine to make waking easier over time and set you on a path to improved sleep.

Bedtime Routine

Yishan Xu, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapy & Assessment Group Practice
Mind & Body Garden Psychology, Inc
Los Altos, CA

Bedtime routines or the “wind down period” is recommended before bedtime each night to relax and prepare for improved sleep for children and adults alike. Learn about four steps to integrate that creates a beneficial bedtime routine designed to quiet your mind and relax your body. 

When in Doubt…Nap it Out!

Yishan Xu, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapy & Assessment Group Practice
Mind & Body Garden Psychology, Inc
Los Altos, CA

Naps can be helpful to reduce our sleepiness during the day and feel more relaxed. It Is a technique to help improve our mood and performance. Learn how to nap to gain the benefit of rest during the day and not rob you of sleep at night. 

Relax and Rejuvenate

Yishan Xu, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapy & Assessment Group Practice
Mind & Body Garden Psychology, Inc
Los Altos, CA
Relaxation exercises can help us sleep better and reduce insomnia. This is a technique to help improve our mood and performance and to reduce our racing mind. Learn from Dr Xu how to learn a simple breathing technique for relaxation.

Nighttime Fears Explained

Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM
Research Associate
Duke University School of Medicine

Nightmares and vivid dreams reflect the things we worry about or things we experience and are a normal way for our brains to respond to stressful events. Changes in sleep behaviors may also impact our dreams. Take a moment to listen to suggestions from Dr Wu to learn about strategies to improve your sleep. 

 You are Essential

Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM
Research Associate
Duke University School of Medicine

Essential workers need better sleep at this time of incredible stress. Poor sleep impacts a myriad of health conditions, our ability to concentrate and memory, and impacts the sleep of our family. Listen to Dr. Wu to learn some suggestions for improving your sleep.

Seeing Blue

Michael Grandner, PhD, DBSM
Director Sleep & Health Research Program
Director Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic
University of Arizona 

Blue light blocking glasses block certain frequency of light in the blue and blue/green spectra to filter out certain wave lengths of light to prevent them from being transmitted to the eyes. Bright blue and green light at night send a message that it is daylight and confuses our internal clock and impacts our ability to rest and sleep. Dr Grandner has some helpful suggestions about how to know you have the correct glasses to block the blue green light.

Panning the Pandemic

Michael Grandner, PhD, DBSM
Director Sleep & Health Research Program
Director Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic
University of Arizona

The pandemic has impacted sleep due primarily to being unable to disconnect from all the stress. More frequent awakenings at night and vivid dreams are causes disruption of sleep. LDr. Grandner presents a number of suggestions to wind down at night to calm your mind and body as you prepare for sleep and shares helpful suggestions to improve your sleep amid the pandemic!