#015 - Insomnia and the Art and Science of Sleep (Prof. Jason Ellis)

Summary: What is sleep and why does it matter? In today's episode Prof. Jason Ellis helps us to explore insomnia and how it relates directly to mood and mental health. How do a couple of sleepless nights turns into chronic insomnia for some people, and nothing more than a few groggy shifts at work for others? We discover how the quality of our sleep can predict your likelihood of developing depression, why seasonal affective disorder is more of a sleep problem than a mood disorder, how daytime napping could be a sign of underlying health concerns, and the limits of medication. We also discuss some of the more curious aspects of sleep, such as why we sometimes start body popping just as we're about to nod off, why couples shouldn't share a duvet, why none of us should be shy when trying out a mattress in the bed shop, why playing Candy Crush at bedtime could be messing up your circadian rhythms, and also how having sex in the kitchen could potentially help you sleep more soundly. For show notes and to join the conversation visit: http://myownworstenemy.org/podcast Email: danny@myownworstenemy.org Follow Danny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dannydwhittaker