Host: Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey
Guest: Dr. Lawrence Epstein
Broadcast and podcast on webtalkradio.net. The podcast is also on the links below
When patients complain of “insomnia,” Dr. Lawrence Epstein becomes a medical detective. “There are 75 types of sleep disorders and each type requires a somewhat different approach,” says Dr. Epstein. “The best starting point is a good diagnosis.” His book, The Harvard Medical School Guide to A Good Night’s Sleep, helps readers self-diagnose their problem and whether they need professional help or can resolve the problem on their own. Research shows that good sleep helps people have better health, fewer accidents, and live longer.
Dr. Epstein is Director of the Harvard-affiliated SleepHealth Centers, teaches at Harvard, and is a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. His website, which has a lot of practical tips on sleep is www.sleepandyou.com.
About a year ago I started having sleep problems. I’d wake up every few hours and in the mornings I had headaches. I perused several books on sleep problems and found they just had generic advice. I went through a sleep doctor, a sleep lab, a neurologist, and had an MRI. They didn’t find any cause. Eventually the problem resolved itself—apparently, it was stress. I thought I knew most of the basics about sleep until I read Dr. Epstein’s book. What I found is that there are dozens of causes of sleep disorders, Dr. Epstein said 75 to be exact, and each type requires a somewhat different approach.
What I learned from Dr. Epstein is that the best starting point is a good diagnosis of what the problem is—and his book goes a long way to helping people self- diagnose the problem and whether they need professional help or can resolve the problem on their own. I wish I had started there in the first place. Why am I talking about sleep on a program focused on living longer, healthier, and happier? Not only does the research show that good sleep helps people have better health, be less likely to have accidents, and to live longer, the research finds it is vital to our quality of life.
Dr. Brickey’s other websites are www.DrBrickey.com and www.Anti-Aging-Speaker.com.
