Wellness Series 2: Improving Your Sleep Quality | Jamie Zeitzer

Today’s episode is the second in a three-part series looking at wellness through the lenses of movement, sleep, and mindset. For today’s conversation, Melissa and Hannah invite Professor Jamie Zeitzer to discuss his work on sleep. Jamie is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, conducting research in the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. Jamie is very “light focused” in his research, working a lot with circadian rhythms, which are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Americans spend just about 7% of their time in natural light and our circadian rhythms are very sensitive to lights. Jamie recommends going outside just a half hour every day can help set us up for better sleep at night. Additionally, exercise, regular routines, and temperatures can be important to getting better sleep. He also recommends being more cognizant of what is helpful and relaxing to you before going to sleep.