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Today I am speaking with a doctor who is an expert on sleeping and the impact not getting enough sleep is having on people of all ages, especially people over 50.
Dr. Bijoy John said poor sleep is not an epidemic, which is generally confined to one local area. Rather, it is new pandemic impacting people all over the globe regardless of age.
He said poor sleep is an issue that impacted him for many years, too, starting in med school, again after losing his mother and while trying to run a business. The COVID debacle caused sleep problems for many people who were forced to work from home, which disrupted their routines.
As a result, many people today compromise on their sleep in order to get done everything else they are supposed to do. Through his own experiences, Dr. John developed what he calls seven fluent strategies to help get better sleep.
In order to share those strategies with others, he published them in a book titled “Nobody’s Sleeping: 7 Proven Sleep Strategies for Better Health and Happiness.”
Technology is the biggest culprit for interfering with healthy sleep. First, technology requires us to operate at much faster speeds to get more things done in what Dr. John called the “hustle culture.”
The non-stop notifications coming through our phones, tablets and computers demand immediate attention and don’t allow us to escape. Finally, technology has become a crutch for news and entertainment. It’s often our best friend. We keep our eyes glued to screens to the point our brain is always working until we force ourselves to try to sleep.
Dr. John said people tell him all the time they’ll sleep when their dead. He responds that without sleep, they’ll be dead soon enough.
The biggest problem facing older people is sleep apnea. It affects men and women as hormones drop, which causes the tongue to get flabby and drop back into the throat to cause an obstruction. For that reason, Dr. John highly recommends people have a sleep study conducted to address the problem with practical solutions.
Getting good sleep solves a variety of other health issues, such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. Sleep also improves memory and brain function.
Establishing a good nighttime routine is effective in preparing the brain for sleep. People cannot just “go to sleep.” They must be coaxed into it through a process. He outlines the SLEEP NOW strategy in his book titled “Nobody’s Sleeping: 7 Proven Sleep Strategies for Better Health and Happiness,” which is available on Amazon and in other bookstores..
People can connect with Dr. John at www.sleepfixacademy.com where they can take a free sleep assessment, sign-up for his Sleep Now course, and read his blog. Dr. John’s Sleep Now podcast is available on Apple, Amazon, Podbean and I Heart Radio.
That’s all I have for this week’s show. If you’d like help in identifying a purpose for your life or to get help planning your next steps, I’m offering a complimentary brainstorming session to members of the Forward From 50 Facebook community. For details, connect with me on Facebook or visit www.forwardfrom50.com.
I’ll have another inspirational interview on the next episode of the Forward From 50 podcast. Thanks for listening. If you like this show, please consider leaving a review wherever you download the episodes.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.