Ep.108 – Dr. Wendy Troxel – Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep

Podcast

Jul 20

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Have you reached a point where you want to sleep in a different room because you can no longer physically sleep in the same bed as your spouse or partner?

Full disclosure, my wife and I had reached this point where sleep loss was negatively impacting both of us. This is where internationally recognized sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel comes into play.

Wendy is a Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist at the RAND Corporation and holds adjunct faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Utah. A licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, she is passionate about helping people get the sleep they need to perform at their best and live life to its fullest.

Three Key Takeaways

Chronic sleep loss can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke and predict the onset of mental health problems. Sleep is crucial for every biological and physiological system.

Healthy relationships promote safety and security, which can also affect sleep quality. Communication with your partner on topics such as sleeping habits, family purpose, and financial objectives is crucial.

A sleep diary is better than sleep tracking, considering it is less judgmental and effective in promoting positive behavior change. By keeping a sleep diary, individuals can track consistency and quality of sleep and rate their sleep quality on a one to ten scale.

Sleep, or lack thereof, has ramifications throughout our lives with our personal relationships and financial decisions. "When people are not rested, or at their best, they don't make sound personal or financial decisions."

Sleep is this critically important health behavior, and it happens to be the one health behavior that couples regularly engage in together.

Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Wendy Troxel.