Behavioral Advances in Sleep-Wake Health

Presentation Summary: Our culture often treats sleep as subordinate to wake. Consequently, sleep is often sacrificed to increase wake time, thus compromising both. Sleep requires more respect, and a different model is inherently healthier to both states.

We will present an evidence-based approach to a menu of behavioral changes that can enhance the day, improve sleep, and offer transcultural practices for enriching the sleep-wake transitions and dream experiences. A practitioner can choose one or a few to incorporate into a practice. Routine approaches to sleep hygiene can helpful, but as a standalone intervention, they usually fall short in meaningful improvement. We will describe the basic concepts of sleep hygiene and introduce the broader principles of sleep preparation, a process that begins upon awakening and integrates strongly with the five other pillars throughout the day. Bedroom preparation and exploration of potential adverse associated conditioning are part of this approach. We then will review bedtime activities as it relates to sleep success. This includes a brief overview of relevant sleep sexology for the lifestyle medicine practitioner. Next, transitional wake-sleep (hypnagogia) and sleep-wake (hypnopompia) states are extendable to gain experiential and emotional growth. Lastly, dream journaling, exploration and lucidity are teachable activities that enhance interest in sleep and life satisfaction. Lucid dreaming permits practice of wake activities with evidence showing sports practice during lucid dreams improves field performance. By attending this session, participants will gain evidence-based insights into enhancing sleep quality and overall well-being through lifestyle medicine principles.

In summary, we will describe behaviors and activities that make sleep more attractive without requiring excessive sleepiness as the motivator. In addition, these tools can help the patient get to sleep, stay asleep, and love sleep as a state of being, not just a necessary investment
for wakefulness. These are time-honored and used to enhance health and wellbeing.