March 5, 2025 • 49 mins
Do you struggle with sleep or feel like rest is always just out of reach? This episode dives into the essential role that quality sleep plays in our health, energy, and productivity. Join Dr. Wendy Bazilian to explore the science of sleep, how it impacts everything from our metabolism to mood, and why sleep is a powerful investment in ourselves. You’ll discover simple, practical tips for better sleep hygiene, such as creating a sleep-friendly environment and enjoying foods that support a healthy circadian rhythm, and take part in a mindful minute exercise to release stress from the day. Together, let’s embrace small, intentional changes that can make a significant impact on how we feel in our waking minutes because when we reclaim our rest, we thrive.
FROM THE EPISODE
Have there been times when you have had less sleep, less sleep than you need and actually started craving things and sort of curious later, like why am I gravitating toward that food? It has to do with sleep and our hormones.
WE DISCUSS:
(10:31) Why sleep is the ‘golden chain’ that ties health and our bodies together’
(15:56) Science-backed ROI: How sleep impacts appetite hormones, weight management, blood sugar, metabolism, longevity, and more
(24:51) Foods that can help promote a healthy sleep cycle
(27:49) Storytime: The ‘worry tree’ and letting go of stress
(30:36) A mindful minute inspired by the 'worry tree' and creating space for rest and renewal
(33:45) Practical tips for better sleep hygiene with a three-step approach for better sleep
(44:57) A question to ponder and reflect on
(45:40) Closing remarks and gratitude to my incredible team and you!
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Email me: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.
REFERENCES:
Please write me if you're interested in any of the studies mentioned in the episode. 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
This weekend, we spring forward
for Daylight Savings Time, which
means we set the clocks
ahead.
And for most of us,
that unfortunately means losing an
hour of sleep.
While the wonderful return to
later sunsets, I do love
that.
And it's something that most
of us enjoy.
(00:21):
In fact, two-thirds of
Americans would prefer to eliminate
daylight savings altogether.
But the fact is, here
we are again.
And though it's just one
hour, research has shown it's
enough to throw us off
in very real ways.
There's more car accidents and
workplace mistakes reported at this
time.
And even increased heart-related
(00:41):
events occur, like heart attack
and stroke.
And many of us just
feel a little more sluggish
or off-balance for days.
And some even report weeks
after this change.
If you're already someone who
struggles with getting enough sleep,
whether through a demanding schedule,
a restless mind, or just
the natural shifts and changing
(01:02):
seasons of life, this seemingly
small change can feel like
an even bigger challenge.
So today I wanted to
bring back one of the
most popular episodes of 1,000
Waking Minutes in my still
relatively short tenure here as
your podcast host.
But it's an episode all
about the power of sleep.
(01:22):
Because sleep isn't just about
rest.
It's about how we think,
feel, perform, and thrive in
our waking minutes.
So we will look into
why rest is so essential
to our waking minutes.
And how sleep impacts everything
from mood and memory to
(01:44):
metabolism and heart health.
And of course, I sprinkle
in some practical ways to
set yourself up for better
sleep, even in our productive
and busy and meaningful lives.
And on this important topic
of sleep, an interesting study
came across my desk in
just the past two weeks
that I thought I'd share.
(02:04):
It was published in the
Journal of the American Heart
Association.
And it looked at what
happens when people eat one
avocado every day for 26
weeks or half a year.
Using the tool from the
American Heart Association called the
Life's Essential Eight, a tool
of eight factors, the researchers
tracked several key health markers
(02:25):
like diet quality, blood lipids,
and interestingly, sleep health.
They found that there was
a statistically significant improvement in
the sleep score, something that
measures both sleep quality and
duration, in the participants who
ate an avocado daily.
So we've seen studies before
(02:46):
linking certain foods like tart
cherries and kiwi, which I
mentioned in the episode today,
to better sleep, primarily because
they're sources of melatonin.
But what makes this study
stand out is that it
looked at a whole food,
avocado in this case, not
just for heart health, but
for its impact on sleep
(03:06):
and within the bigger picture
of cardiovascular well-being.
So if you love your
avocado toast or guacamole, I
certainly do, or even an
avocado chocolate mousse, which by
the way, I have a
great recipe.
I'm happy to send you.
Maybe just don't eat it
right before bed.
Not because of the avocado,
but because the chocolate.
(03:28):
But this sort of further
validates and adds another layer
to the conversation about how
our food choices influence our
overall health.
And in this case, our
sleep.
And it's really cool and
perhaps ways that are beyond
what we typically think.
So before we get into
this episode, I want you
(03:49):
to be considering all along,
how is your sleep really?
Do you wake up feeling
refreshed or are you running
on empty most days?
So as you listen to
it, you know, think about
what's one small shift you
could make to create more
restful nights and more energized,
fulfilling days, your waking minutes,
(04:10):
making those more impactful.
So I wish you a
smooth transition into our longer
days and daylight and into
better health.
I'm so appreciative for you
listening to this, but most
importantly for us pursuing our
health journeys here together as
a community.
(04:30):
Enjoy the episode.
I'm so glad you're here.
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
(04:51):
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily and be healthy to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
To better days, yes.
(05:12):
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
(05:32):
bum, bum.
Mr. Sandman, bring me a
dream.
Do you remember that song?
It rolls out of my
head, just those notes up
the cord getting started.
And if that's any indication
of what we're talking about
today, then you are right.
Welcome back to 1,000 Waking
(05:53):
Minutes.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, your
host.
And if you're new here,
I'm so glad you found
us.
And for those of you
who've been with me for
a while now, thank you
for sticking around.
Because guess what?
We're already on episode eight
today.
And I have heard, as
I was planning and thinking
about starting a podcast, that
(06:15):
many podcasters apparently quit after
episode seven.
So guess what?
We're just getting started.
I'm so excited.
Anyway, today we're talking about
something that doesn't always get
the credit it deserves.
And that is sleep.
This podcast is called 1,000
Waking Minutes.
(06:37):
But in a 24-hour
period, we have 1,440
minutes in a day.
440 of those minutes, or
about seven to eight hours,
are meant for rest.
And the rest of our
1,000 waking minutes will feel
a whole lot better if
you make time for rest.
(07:00):
So this topic is always
important, given that we spend
nearly a third of our
lives sleeping.
But particularly now, as daylight
savings ends, it's a perfect
time to chat about sleep.
Shifting the clocks, we call
it falling back, as we
(07:21):
might say, it might give
us the extra hour of
day time because of the
nature of what we do
to the clock.
But it also throws off
our rhythm.
And I know I'm not
the only one who feels
a little off balance for
a couple days after that
time change.
This time of year is
(07:42):
also busy for a lot
of us, as we start
to feel the strain of
that fourth quarter.
We're heading into the holidays.
We're balancing our work deadlines.
We're juggling family life and
family gatherings.
And it can get overwhelming
if we're not careful.
That's why today's episode isn't
(08:02):
about perfect sleep.
It's about small real-life
changes to get better sleep,
a little bit better, and
things we can do right
now to help us feel
more rested, more productive, more
connected, and more energized during
our 1,000 waking minutes
(08:22):
we have every day.
So here's something funny.
Thomas Edison, the man who
gave us electric light and
literally changed how we spend
our nights, enlightened, thought that
sleep was a waste of
time.
He thought it was a
(08:42):
relic from our cave days.
He bragged about getting only
three to four hours of
sleep a night.
But here's the thing.
Edison napped all the time.
His assistants and students apparently
outed him on this.
He couldn't even out-invent
biology, and neither can we.
(09:06):
And that's the truth about
sleep.
You can't out-work or
out-think it.
Believe me, I've tried.
You've probably tried at times.
For years, we took the
red eye on the West
Coast at the end of
a work day, overnight, and
tried to get off and
running, fresh start.
No one would miss us
because, you know, everyone in
(09:27):
the United States was sleeping
during that time and get
off and running, trying to
juggle work and life and
everything in between.
As a parent, and if
you're a caregiver for younger
or older individuals, you can
understand how hard it is
to fit sleep in at
times.
And if you're ambitious and
(09:47):
you've got goals, you probably,
you know, get excited, and
it can be hard to
sleep for a variety of
reasons.
It's certainly tough.
But I also know how
crucial it is to make
time for it.
Good thing is I have
always loved a good, productive
nap.
That and some other practices
have helped keep me energized
(10:07):
and healthy over time.
So this episode of
1,000 Waking Minutes is about
reclaiming some of those 440
minutes that we devote to
sleep so we can feel
sharper and healthier and find
our days more fulfilling and
(10:27):
our choices easier to make,
frankly.
There's a beautiful quote by
Thomas Decker, the 17th century
playwright, that sort of sums
up what we're talking about.
And I'm going to come
back to him and a
poem that he wrote later
in the episode.
But he said, "Sleep is
(10:47):
the golden chain that ties
health and our bodies together."
So one thing I want
to get fully entrenched in
you by the end of
this episode is just how
critical sleep is to our
productive life, particularly our health.
And sleep isn't a waste
of time.
In fact, we've been talking
about its connection for centuries.
(11:09):
But modern science just in
the last few decades has
really started to emerge to
show us how and why
it's so critical to our
biological health and how well
we age.
This is an investment that
helps everything else run smoother
during our restful and our
waking minutes of the day.
(11:30):
So let's dive into some
of the science-backed reasons
why these 440 minutes of
sleep are essential and how
reclaiming them can make all
the difference.
And this is what I
call the ROI, the returns
on investment or benefits of
getting adequate sleep.
So I've got a little
story about a good friend
(11:52):
of mine and a mentor,
a member of my doctoral
advisory committee actually for my
dissertation, a brilliant nutrition researcher
who's published hundreds of important
papers about nutrition and health,
one particularly notable, a landmark
study connecting nuts, particularly walnuts,
and cardiovascular health.
(12:12):
Well, he would tell a
story, and this is my
version of his story, that
when he first moved from
Spain, where he hails from,
to California many years ago,
he was already in a
pattern, a cultural pattern of
siestas, and he felt an
(12:34):
important part of his life.
But he found pretty quickly
that his siesta ritual, his
cherished midday rest, wasn't exactly
welcomed with open arms here
in the U.S. And
I'm adding a little bit
of my own embellishments to
this story, but I have
a pretty good recollection having
heard him tell me it
(12:54):
a couple different times over
the years.
And because I totally already
valued the power of a
power nap and how clear
and productive I felt after
taking one.
But not everyone understood, and
there wasn't sort of the
science and the growing support,
and I would say that
in some areas, there still
(13:15):
isn't sort of the understanding
and value of how important
sleep is, which I'm hoping
to convince you of today.
Well, as I recall, his
colleague's response ranged from funny
looks to curiosity to quiet
judgment on this idea of
a siesta.
Being very clever as an
individual and always sort of
(13:38):
being able to read the
room, I would say he
would muse that he would
call it something different.
He started calling his siestas
his zen yoga or zen
meditation and said sort of
just like that, no one
hardly even batted an eye
moving forward.
I always got such a
kick out of this idea
(13:59):
of sort of reframing something
that you wanted to do.
He was super highly productive,
had a massive teaching schedule,
was publishing day over day
and involved in leading primary
investigations on diet and health,
and still he had to
sort of find a way
to communicate his desire, his
(14:21):
need for that time, that
midday siesta.
Us being Southern California, we
were a little bit more
open.
It's already part of the
language, yoga and meditation.
It's become part of our
terminology, and so it worked.
(14:42):
But I want to underscore
here and ahead, sleep and
rest is never a sign
of weakness or being unproductive.
Sleep is a universal need.
It's a basic need.
It's not only about turning
down our temperature, putting our
bodies to rest.
(15:03):
It's about restoration.
It's about health, as you
will see.
The idea that we should
somehow be proud about lost
sleep, maybe you've run into
individuals who said, sort of
proudly stated, almost like competitively,
how little sleep they've gotten.
Well, I think it's a
bit of nonsense, and it's
sort of gotten us buried
(15:23):
in this cultural language of
success and competition being measured
by how much we can
suffer to live.
And when we sleep well,
we actually live better.
That's the reality.
So perhaps we can think
of it as powering down
to power back up, to
(15:45):
getting those recharges, whether it's
through a nap or working
toward getting more efficient, effective,
and restful sleep at night.
All right, so let's get
into the science, because sleep
isn't just the downtime.
It's essential maintenance and restoration
for everything from your metabolism
to your memory.
(16:07):
First, one benefit, weight management
and appetite, hormone control and
regulation.
In a study out of
the University of Chicago, researchers
found that people who missed
out on sleep craved snacks
with twice the fat content
as those who got eight
hours of rest.
So think about it.
Have there been times when
(16:27):
you have had less sleep
than you need and actually
started craving things and sort
of curious later, like, why
am I gravitating toward that
food?
It has to do with
sleep and our hormones.
It's not just that we're
looking for energy.
We have two important hormones
that are playing tug of
(16:47):
war commonly in our body.
And when we're low on
sleep, these two hormones are
called ghrelin and leptin.
They sort of get sluggish.
They get crisscrossed.
They don't operate properly.
Ghrelin is which tells you
to eat.
It goes up when you're
low on sleep.
It says eat more.
(17:08):
Why?
Probably because our ancestors probably
had to keep going and
stay awake to move to
find more food or to
get where they need to
go or outrun.
They probably needed it for
that reason.
But now the result is
that when we're low on
sleep, our ghrelin still goes
up, but it commands us
during our waking hours to
(17:29):
eat more.
Leptin is another hormone which
tells your body that you're
full, you're satisfied.
And it just doesn't show
up for the job the
same when you're low on
sleep.
It goes down when you're
awake and are low on
sleep.
So those late night munchies
(17:49):
you get or wondering why
you crave cookies at midnight
or after a rough day
or rough night or midday
even the next day is
likely associated at least in
part with the quality of
your sleep.
It's not just in your
head.
It's literally your body trying
to fuel up, trying to
make sense of this little
(18:10):
bit of deprivation that's incremental
over time.
Poor sleep also makes it
easier to store the food
that you eat as fat,
unfortunately.
And research has supported that.
So it's sort of like
a double whammy.
Not only are you getting
all signals to eat more,
you're not getting the signal
to stop and your body
set up to go store
(18:32):
those extra calories easier than
it would otherwise as fat.
Benefit number two, better blood
sugar regulation and impact on
diabetes risk.
In fact, better sleep, lower
diabetes risk.
Poorer sleep increases diabetes risk.
So sleep plays a big
role in blood sugar control.
(18:53):
In fact, they're sort of
besties, this idea of blood
sugar and sleep for our
body.
One affects the other.
When one is off, the
other literally struggles.
A 2020 study published in
the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism found that even
a few nights of poor
sleep raises your hemoglobin A1C
(19:17):
levels.
That's a marker of your
blood sugar and how it
is running over the course
of a three-month or
approximately 90-day span.
Without quality sleep, your insulin
regulation goes haywire for the
next day and ongoing, and
it makes you also feel
tired and cranky.
You're not putting the sugar
where it needs to go
(19:37):
to make the energy.
Plus, your blood sugar goes
up, your regulation goes down,
and it sets us up
for a lot of problems,
not to mention increased risk
if you're at risk for
diabetes, more increased risk of
prediabetes and diabetes.
So think of it like
this.
If you're not getting enough
(19:58):
sleep, your body struggles to
process the sugar efficiently during
the day for energy, leading
then to a dreaded sugar
crash.
So again, it becomes this
big, messy cycle.
Another very recently published study
of more than 84,000
participants conducted by the Brigham
and Women's Hospital found that
(20:18):
even minor inconsistencies in your
sleep pattern, like shifting your
bedtime by an hour, can
contribute to health risks.
Now, this is something that
a lot of us are
likely to do at times.
It found that individuals with
the most irregular sleep durations
faced a 34% higher
(20:39):
risk of developing type 2
diabetes.
This is another reason why
you may have heard before,
but having consistent sleep routines,
including the weekends, may be
more beneficial to health.
This research highlights the metabolic
consequences of inconsistent sleep durations
(21:00):
and schedules.
This was published in Diabetes
Care just recently, several months
ago.
So this study reinforces the
ROIs and the importance of
maintaining consistent sleep for all
the other benefits I'm going
to say.
Even small shifts in your
bedtime can have longer-term
effects, making regular and quality
(21:20):
sleep super important for how
you will live your
1,000 waking minutes day after
day.
The third benefit is improvements
on cognitive performance and decision
-making.
Have you ever felt like
you're absolutely running on empty
after a bad night of
sleep?
I have.
That's not just your imagination,
(21:42):
for sure.
And here's the kicker.
Harvard Medical School researchers found
that being sleep-deprived slows
down your reaction time as
much, if not more, than
being legally intoxicated.
Let me say that again.
Being sleep-deprived slows down
your reaction time as much,
(22:02):
if not more, than being
legally intoxicated.
So this isn't just about
feeling groggy.
It's about how you show
up in life, really.
And fatigue itself has been
shown to impair motor function,
affects our sense of timing,
whether you're an athlete looking
for a performance edge or
(22:24):
someone trying to excel at
a project at work or
maybe just getting through the
day without another cup of
coffee to try to stimulate
you.
And I've been there, too.
Good sleep sharpens your decision
-making, your focus, and your
performance.
And it's measurable.
A fourth benefit is mental
health and mood.
Mental health, something we all
(22:45):
know is tied to how
we sleep already, plays a
huge role in our mood.
Studies show that even mild
sleep deprivation can lead to
irritability, depression, or just being
edgy, you know, that place
where you just can't shake
it.
You feel like you're just
on edge.
That's because sleep is essential
to our well-being and
(23:07):
to regulating, helping us regulate
our emotions and our mood.
In one review in the
journal Sleep Health, researchers noted
that people who improved their
sleep habits saw measurable improvements
in anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Another benefit is immune function
and longevity.
Sleep plays a huge role
(23:29):
in supporting a healthy immune
system.
If you've ever had that,
like, rundown feeling after too
many sleepless nights where you're
just not getting, you know,
enough sleep on a many
-day basis, or if you've
actually pulled an all-nighter,
and then suddenly you get
a terrible cold, it's like
(23:49):
adding insult to injury, and
you're like, why now?
You just made it through,
you thought.
Well, this isn't a coincidence.
There's actually research from the
journal Nature Communications that showed
that people who sleep less
than six hours a night
are four times more likely
to catch a cold than
those getting a full night's
rest, those 440 minutes on
(24:11):
average.
And why is that?
Well, because sleep is more
than rest.
It's more than catching a
few Zs.
It really is what allows
our body to build immunity.
I love the word restorative
because of all the things
that that can connote, all
those things that it can
do.
During sleep, we repair ourselves.
We build tissue, we fight
(24:33):
off infection, we fight off
the stuff of the day
before.
We set ourselves up for
a bright start for tomorrow.
And that's why people who
get consistent sleep not only
tend to feel better, they
tend to live longer, healthier
lives as well.
And finally, I want to
(24:53):
just mention a few foods
that can healthfully impact our
metabolism and our sleep.
A little bit of synergy
here.
I've written a number of
articles, done some television segments.
You know that I love
nutrition because that's my primary
degree in public health nutrition.
But there are actually some
foods that can help promote
(25:14):
a healthy sleep cycle.
The circadian rhythm, the rhythm
of our day, of being
awake when we're awake, winding
down when it's time to
rest, to rest well instead
of being awake when we're
supposed to sleep.
Bananas, pineapples, and oranges can
help your body create melatonin,
the hormone that helps regulate
sleep.
(25:34):
So melatonin does not put
you to sleep, but having
adequate melatonin and melatonin produced
in the body can help
us maintain a healthy sleep
cycle.
Another two foods, tart cherries
that I've talked about before,
and walnuts contain melatonin.
They're natural sources of melatonin.
And along with magnesium that
(25:56):
walnuts contains, magnesium can help
relax our muscles and our
nerves and help make our
sleep time more restful.
Some people with restless leg
syndrome or that get muscle
cramps at night benefit from
having magnesium either as a
supplement but certainly getting it
(26:17):
in their foods.
So thinking about simple snacks
like whole grain crackers with
cheese offers tryptophan, an amino
acid that helps serotonin and
melatonin.
So what you eat during
the day can actually set
you up for better rest
at night.
They won't make you sleepy,
(26:39):
but they'll help your circadian
rhythm, that sleep cycle.
So the takeaway from all
of these benefits is now
you know, sleep is not
just about rest.
It's about our essential maintenance
of the body.
It's for our mind and
our mood and everything in
between.
It provides our body with
what it needs to perform,
(26:59):
to think, and to even
stave off illness.
And we know it can
help our mood.
We just know that inherently.
There's words like moody for
a reason and crabby when
we haven't slept well.
The perks of sleep extend
into our decisions during the
day too.
So it affects everything.
You know, our blood sugar
(27:19):
regulation and even how our
hunger and satiety hormones work
during our 1,000 waking minutes.
And I can't emphasize enough
that sleep, those 440 minutes,
is really about what you
get during the sleep.
But it importantly impacts our
waking minutes so that we
can do all the heavy
lifting that we need to
do during our day to
(27:40):
perform and feel well.
So the good news is
even small changes can make
a big impact.
And that can start tonight.
You know how some stories
just stick with you because
they say something really meaningful
in a simple way?
Well, this is one of
those for me.
It's called The Worry Tree
by an unknown author.
And it's one that always
(28:01):
comes to mind when I
think about letting go of
stress and how important it
is to set things down
at the end of the
day so they don't follow
you into the night and
through the night.
I've shared this with classes
and workshops over the years,
and I think it's such
a beautiful reminder that while
we all carry worries, we
also have the ability to
choose where we put them.
(28:23):
In other words, how we
carry and handle them in
our lives.
Here's the story.
It goes like this.
A carpenter was working to
restore an old farmhouse.
He'd had a terrible, defeating
day.
A flat tire cost him
an hour of work already.
His electric saw quit.
And then his old pickup
truck wouldn't start.
(28:43):
By the end of the
day, he was frustrated and
exhausted.
The farmhouse owner offered to
drive him home.
As he did, something interesting
happened.
Before the carpenter walked through
his door, the farmhouse owner
noticed that he paused beside
a small tree.
(29:04):
The carpenter reached out and
touched the tips of its
branches.
As if by magic, he
underwent an amazing transformation, and
his whole demeanor changed.
He smiled, stood a little
taller, and went inside to
greet his wife and children
with happy hugs and kisses.
Later, when the farmhouse owner
(29:25):
asked him about the tree,
the carpenter explained, Oh, that's
my worry tree.
I know I can't help
having worries on the job,
but my worries don't belong
in the house with my
family.
So I hang them on
the tree every night when
I come home.
He pauses and then adds,
The funny thing is, when
(29:45):
I come out in the
morning, there aren't nearly as
many as I remember hanging
up the night before.
Obviously, that strikes a chord
with me, and I find
it so powerful, and almost
every time I get so
choked up about that story.
I love it because it
(30:05):
reminds us that even though
we can't avoid stress or
control everything, we can decide
not to carry it all
with us everywhere.
And sleep, just like life,
gets a little easier when
we leave some things behind.
Sometimes just setting it down,
even symbolically, can help us
(30:26):
sleep better and live better.
And I'm going to encourage
you to do this as
you cross the threshold into
your bedroom to rest each
night as well.
Now, let's take a moment
to pause with a Mindful
Minute, because small pauses like
this are where good habits
begin.
This is one inspired by
(30:46):
'The Worry Tree' story, and
I invite you to imagine
your own version of a
worry tree.
This exercise will help us
gently set things down so
we can later drift into
a more restful night or
just enjoy a moment of
calm during our busy days.
I'll prepare and guide you
(31:07):
for a moment, and then
I'll leave space for you
to breathe, reflect, and release.
Now, before we begin, close
your eyes, if it's safe
to do so, and take
a slow, deep breath in.
Picture a tree in front
(31:28):
of you.
Maybe it's a tree you
know or one from your
imagination.
Notice its branches swaying lightly
and the way the leaves
move with the breeze.
This is your worry tree.
Now imagine yourself reaching out
and placing today's worries, like
(31:48):
setting down pieces, or maybe
it's one heavy bag on
the tree.
Now let's begin our Mindful
Minute.
Just continue to lighten your
load onto the sturdy tree
branches as you breathe.
(32:19):
Feel your body soften as
you exhale.
Feel lighter.
The load is lifting.
(32:39):
Breathe in slowly, and as
you exhale, feel the relief
of knowing you don't have
to pick those worries back
up, at least not tonight,
or maybe not at all.
On our last breath here,
allow yourself to feel the
space you've created as if
(33:00):
your mind is clearing, making
room for rest.
Okay?
Small moments like this, where
we give ourselves permission to
set things down, are where
good sleep begins.
Just like the carpenter's tree,
(33:21):
this is a practice you
can use anytime, before bed,
after a stressful day, or
whenever you need a moment
to reset.
Sleep comes easier when we
leave a little bit of
the day behind.
Whether it's tonight or another
day, know that you can
always come back to your
own version of a worry
tree.
(33:41):
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute with me.
Now, let's get practical.
You don't have to overhaul
your entire life to sleep
better.
Small tweaks can make a
huge difference.
If you have very poor
sleep, it might take a
few steps in the process,
but small steps, I promise,
you can make enhancements right
away.
Pick one or two things
(34:02):
to try, and build from
there.
And here's where you can
start.
I have three main areas
that I'm going to talk
about.
Three-step approach, let's say.
The environment, the wind-down
routine, and easing into sleep.
So first, the environment.
Make your bedroom a sleep
(34:24):
sanctuary.
Now, I call this going
to the dark side.
Using blackout curtains or covering
small digital lights, I can't
emphasize enough.
Take inventory of how many
little lights you can see
in your room when the
lights are out.
If you wear glasses or
are nearsighted, I wear contact
(34:44):
lenses and glasses, and tiny
little lights become huge lights
in the night if there
are lights in the room.
Even the light from a
phone charger can disrupt melatonin
production.
So block it out like
a sleep ninja that you
are.
There are all kinds of
tricks that you can do
to still keep them functioning
if you have anything with
(35:04):
a remote control.
Next, within the environment, keep
the room cool.
You're better to have some
blankets on you, but keeping
the atmosphere, according to research,
between 60 and 68 degrees
can help trigger melatonin production
in your body and help
you sleep longer.
(35:24):
So you might want to
cuddle down, or if you're
like me, I get colder
when I'm tired, so I
want to really bundle, bundle
up.
But try to keep the
overall ambience a little bit
cooler in the room and
use blankets, and then you
can peel some of those
off as the night goes
on for better sleep.
Also try within your environment
(35:46):
to ditch your phone.
Use a non-smartphone digital
or analog clock to avoid
falling into what I call,
not the rabbit hole, but
the scroll hole at night.
Trust me, Instagram will still
be there in the morning,
as we all know, but
really trying to keep that
(36:07):
phone out of the room
unless it's there for emergencies,
and then still keep it
at a distance and use
something else for an alarm.
So the second tip is
creating a wind-down routine,
so it's about the routine.
First and foremost, I say
'close the kitchen' at the
right time.
Finish eating two to three
hours, preferably before bed, so
(36:27):
your body can focus on
restoration, not digestion when it's
sleeping.
Sometimes we forget that there
are actual things going on
when you're sleeping, and digestion
is one of them, especially
if you've got a heavy
load in your system.
It's got to keep working.
In fact, I always picture
it like construction workers pulling
up the bright lights if
you've had a late-night
(36:47):
dinner that's heavy.
It's working all night on
your digestion instead of all
the other great things that
I mentioned before that it
wants to do, like your
immune system and building new
cells and all the good
stuff.
So if you need to
have a little snack within
that two- to three
-hour window, keep it light,
and maybe focus on some
of those foods that I
mentioned before.
(37:08):
A couple crackers with a
little bit of cheese, a
few tart cherries, or yes,
some warm milk might do
the trick.
I have a little recipe
I call chamomilk, which is
a chamomile flour tisane or
tea with some milk, which
can help you ease into
sleep, a part of your
wind-down routine.
(37:28):
Try establishing a practice of
unplugging at a certain time
before you go to bed,
maybe an hour before your
bed, and give your brain
a break from the screens.
If you can't resist a
little bedtime screening, at least
switch the screen image to
be black screen with white
(37:49):
letters instead.
It's easier and it reduces
the blue light that's coming
in and kind of affects
our sleep hormones and can
interfere with sleep.
And as I mentioned before,
you can sip something before
bed.
You can have a little
bit of chamomilk or an
herbal tea, something cozy and
(38:10):
calming, something warm and soothing,
and then take that final
trip to the bathroom so
that you don't wake up
needing to go to the
bathroom in the middle of
the night.
You want to minimize that.
And the third of the
three steps is easing into
sleep and relax your way
into your sleep routine.
So this is about finding
(38:31):
your own sweet spot, making
sure that you find your
right position.
Preferably and optimally, it's sort
of like laying on your
left side can help with
digestion.
Maybe a small pillow between
your knees to help with
alignment.
Investing in a good pillow,
which you may need to
try out, not the one
that looks good on the
bed, that's what the throw
(38:52):
pillows are for, but the
one that actually helps you
rest.
And then establishing what is
your easing into sleep routine
going to look like?
We've wound down and now
we're actually going to sleep.
If you've heard of white
noise, I encourage you to
think about a newer term,
(39:13):
if you haven't heard it,
called pink noise.
You can download apps that
have pink noise, and these
have been found to be
better at sort of blocking
out distractions like snoring and
even sirens and things outside.
Pink noise is a certain
sort of frequency and wavelength,
(39:34):
but think of it like
waves of an ocean or
the gentle rainfall that keeps
you really in that really
meditative sleep state, and it's
called pink noise.
And there are some apps
that are available.
There are some machines that
can do, that can produce
some of these pink noise
sounds.
Try some aromatherapy, either for
(39:57):
a period of time as
you're easing into your sleep
state.
There are some diffusers that
you can get that you
can be on timers that
may bring in a little
bit of a lavender scent
or something that's very soothing
for you, sort of like
you would at a spa.
You can also put a
few drops of lavender oil
on your pillow, put some
(40:19):
at your temples or right
outside your nostrils if you're
not sensitive to that on
your skin that sort of
can help ease you into
sleep and bring those nice
aromas into your head and
your mind and to be
soothing as you go to
sleep.
So those are the three
main steps, establishing an environment
(40:41):
for healthy sleep, the wind
down routine, and things you
do to ease into sleep.
I just wanted to add
a couple more tips briefly.
One is the snacks that
you eat, the sleep foods,
so to speak, during your
day, which can help you
have more restful nights.
So remembering the bananas, pineapples,
and oranges that I mentioned
(41:02):
before that have compounds that
can help produce melatonin and
help with a healthy sleep
cycle.
Tart cherries and walnuts are
sources of melatonin and other
nutrients that can fit in
your day, either tart cherry
juice, there's been some research
on having tart cherry juice
or concentrate before bed, not
immediately before bed, helping with
(41:23):
healthy sleep, actual research.
And there's lots of research
on walnuts that you can
incorporate in a variety of
ways.
One of them may help
promote healthy sleep.
I haven't yet mentioned pumpkin
seeds and almonds, which are
sources of magnesium.
Magnesium helps relax our muscles
and may help us with
(41:43):
sleep at night, especially if
you have muscle cramping or
restless legs.
And those are easy to
combine in your day in
different kinds of trail mixes,
in baked goods, on salads,
and other places.
And then finally, a tip
about 3Ms, movement, mood, and
(42:04):
mindset.
Simple actions.
One is power naps.
I mentioned napping very briefly
before in my story about
the 'Zen yoga' meditation.
And if it feels indulgent
to you to nap, I've
met people who are like,
nap?
I've never napped.
Well, maybe you'll call it
one of these things, your
little Zen yoga session.
But a 20-minute nap
(42:25):
has shown to be enough
to recharge your energy without
disrupting your nighttime sleep.
So it's like powering down
to power back up, getting
a recharge.
Use the worry tree.
Hang up your worries.
Use a symbolic worry tree
in your life, whether it's
a little hook that you
(42:46):
hang at your bedroom door,
maybe a little sticker, maybe
a little picture of a
tree.
Touch it at night.
And remember that the worries
get left there.
And as you cross the
threshold into the area that
you sleep and rest, leave
your stress behind.
You might actually find fewer
(43:06):
worries the next day after
a good night's sleep, as
I'm sure has been the
case in your life.
It certainly has been in
mine.
And then a little bit
of movement, not fast movement.
We're not talking exercise here,
but healthy breathing and unwinding
practices like self-massage.
In other episodes, I've talked
about abdominal massage that can
(43:28):
help with digestion that you
can do at sleep.
But there are ways that
you can rub or massage
your body as well to
release tension and help you
ease into sleep.
One area is your temples.
Gently rub on your temples
in a circular pattern.
Also, my husband, who practiced
traditional Chinese medicine, talks about
(43:49):
areas at the base of
the skull where the neck
attaches the skull and it
gets tight and tense that
you can massage that area.
Not only does it feel
really good, but it can
help with the circulation of
the brain and the calming
and soothing as well.
If your feet feel tight
from a whole day on
your feet or just walking
around, maybe rolling your feet
(44:11):
on a golf ball or
if you have other kinds
of tools to do some
foot massage, those are ways
that you can use movement
to your benefit.
There's lots of tips.
I don't expect you to
use them all, but maybe
try one of them.
These tips aren't about perfection.
Life's too unpredictable for that,
and you will have nights
of poor sleep.
But even one or two
(44:31):
small changes can make a
big difference.
Sleep isn't just a break
from the day.
It's the fuel that powers
your 1,000 waking minutes
every day.
The choices we make about
food, rest, movement, and mindset
are all what set us
up to thrive tomorrow.
So which of these tips
(44:52):
are you going to try
tonight?
Take one and give it
a try.
If you've listened before, you
know I always pose a
question as we near the
end of each episode.
Here's today's question, something for
you to reflect upon.
What's one small change you
could make tonight to reclaim
a little more sleep and
feel better during your 1
,000 waking minutes tomorrow?
(45:15):
Take a moment with this
question.
The smallest shifts can make
a big difference.
Again, here's the question.
What's one small change you
could make tonight to reclaim
a little more sleep and
feel a little bit better
during your 1,000 waking
minutes tomorrow?
(45:36):
So we've come a long
way today talking about sleep.
A quick look back on
what we've covered today, we
talked about why these 440
minutes of sleep are so
important to our 1,000
waking minutes, not just for
rest, but our ROI, your
metabolism, your mental clarity, your
performance, and your long-term
health.
(45:57):
We also explored how small
practical tips can make a
big difference, like setting up
your bedroom as a sanctuary,
closing the kitchen a few
hours before bed, and adding
maybe a little lavender to
your pillow or some pink
noise or trying the Zen
meditation power nap during your
day to your routine.
(46:18):
Most importantly, we reminded ourselves
that sleep doesn't have to
be perfect, just intentional.
Even if life feels busy
and overwhelming, one or two
small changes can make all
the difference.
And while modern science has
been showing us just recently
in the last several decades
why sleep is so critically
important to our biology and
(46:39):
our longevity, this is not
a new topic.
This is a poem written
by playwright Thomas Decker of
the quote that I mentioned
at the beginning of the
podcast today, and also the
inspiration of the song Golden
Slumbers that the Beatles recorded
on Abbey Road.
It's called Cradle Song by
(46:59):
Thomas Decker.
"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
smiles awake you when you
rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not
cry, and I will sing
a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.
Care is heavy, therefore sleep
you.
(47:19):
You are care, and care
must keep you.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not
cry, and I will sing
a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby."
And on that note, I
hope that you have a
wonderful, restful, and restorative night.
(47:41):
Thank you so much for
spending some of your
1,000 waking minutes with me
today.
If you found today's episode
helpful, I'd love it if
you'd subscribe and share it
with a friend who could
use a little more sleep
as well in their life.
Remember, how we live today
shapes how we thrive tomorrow.
So let's reclaim a few
(48:03):
minutes of rest and wake
up feeling better.
Not perfect, but better.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, and until
next time, be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
(48:23):
production and marketing teams, and
Gabriela Escalante in particular.
To the ultra-talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design, to
Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna
Powell, and of course my
family, and everyone working tirelessly
behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
(48:44):
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review, and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes that's
us, a five-star rating.
And please hit subscribe on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever
you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stay connected
(49:05):
at wendybazilian.com.
And don't forget to share
with your friends.
Your support helps us grow
and bring you more great
content.
Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each
day.
I'm saying yes to better
(49:28):
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
I'm saying yes to better
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Welcome to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
This weekend, we spring forward
for Daylight Savings Time, which
means we set the clocks
ahead.
And for most of us,
that unfortunately means losing an
hour of sleep.
While the wonderful return to
later sunsets, I do love
that.
And it's something that most
of us enjoy.
(00:21):
In fact, two-thirds of
Americans would prefer to eliminate
daylight savings altogether.
But the fact is, here
we are again.
And though it's just one
hour, research has shown it's
enough to throw us off
in very real ways.
There's more car accidents and
workplace mistakes reported at this
time.
And even increased heart-related
(00:41):
events occur, like heart attack
and stroke.
And many of us just
feel a little more sluggish
or off-balance for days.
And some even report weeks
after this change.
If you're already someone who
struggles with getting enough sleep,
whether through a demanding schedule,
a restless mind, or just
the natural shifts and changing
(01:02):
seasons of life, this seemingly
small change can feel like
an even bigger challenge.
So today I wanted to
bring back one of the
most popular episodes of 1,000
Waking Minutes in my still
relatively short tenure here as
your podcast host.
But it's an episode all
about the power of sleep.
(01:22):
Because sleep isn't just about
rest.
It's about how we think,
feel, perform, and thrive in
our waking minutes.
So we will look into
why rest is so essential
to our waking minutes.
And how sleep impacts everything
from mood and memory to
(01:44):
metabolism and heart health.
And of course, I sprinkle
in some practical ways to
set yourself up for better
sleep, even in our productive
and busy and meaningful lives.
And on this important topic
of sleep, an interesting study
came across my desk in
just the past two weeks
that I thought I'd share.
(02:04):
It was published in the
Journal of the American Heart
Association.
And it looked at what
happens when people eat one
avocado every day for 26
weeks or half a year.
Using the tool from the
American Heart Association called the
Life's Essential Eight, a tool
of eight factors, the researchers
tracked several key health markers
(02:25):
like diet quality, blood lipids,
and interestingly, sleep health.
They found that there was
a statistically significant improvement in
the sleep score, something that
measures both sleep quality and
duration, in the participants who
ate an avocado daily.
So we've seen studies before
(02:46):
linking certain foods like tart
cherries and kiwi, which I
mentioned in the episode today,
to better sleep, primarily because
they're sources of melatonin.
But what makes this study
stand out is that it
looked at a whole food,
avocado in this case, not
just for heart health, but
for its impact on sleep
(03:06):
and within the bigger picture
of cardiovascular well-being.
So if you love your
avocado toast or guacamole, I
certainly do, or even an
avocado chocolate mousse, which by
the way, I have a
great recipe.
I'm happy to send you.
Maybe just don't eat it
right before bed.
Not because of the avocado,
but because the chocolate.
(03:28):
But this sort of further
validates and adds another layer
to the conversation about how
our food choices influence our
overall health.
And in this case, our
sleep.
And it's really cool and
perhaps ways that are beyond
what we typically think.
So before we get into
this episode, I want you
(03:49):
to be considering all along,
how is your sleep really?
Do you wake up feeling
refreshed or are you running
on empty most days?
So as you listen to
it, you know, think about
what's one small shift you
could make to create more
restful nights and more energized,
fulfilling days, your waking minutes,
(04:10):
making those more impactful.
So I wish you a
smooth transition into our longer
days and daylight and into
better health.
I'm so appreciative for you
listening to this, but most
importantly for us pursuing our
health journeys here together as
a community.
(04:30):
Enjoy the episode.
I'm so glad you're here.
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
(04:51):
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily and be healthy to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
To better days, yes.
(05:12):
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum,
(05:32):
bum, bum.
Mr. Sandman, bring me a
dream.
Do you remember that song?
It rolls out of my
head, just those notes up
the cord getting started.
And if that's any indication
of what we're talking about
today, then you are right.
Welcome back to 1,000 Waking
(05:53):
Minutes.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, your
host.
And if you're new here,
I'm so glad you found
us.
And for those of you
who've been with me for
a while now, thank you
for sticking around.
Because guess what?
We're already on episode eight
today.
And I have heard, as
I was planning and thinking
about starting a podcast, that
(06:15):
many podcasters apparently quit after
episode seven.
So guess what?
We're just getting started.
I'm so excited.
Anyway, today we're talking about
something that doesn't always get
the credit it deserves.
And that is sleep.
This podcast is called 1,000
Waking Minutes.
(06:37):
But in a 24-hour
period, we have 1,440
minutes in a day.
440 of those minutes, or
about seven to eight hours,
are meant for rest.
And the rest of our
1,000 waking minutes will feel
a whole lot better if
you make time for rest.
(07:00):
So this topic is always
important, given that we spend
nearly a third of our
lives sleeping.
But particularly now, as daylight
savings ends, it's a perfect
time to chat about sleep.
Shifting the clocks, we call
it falling back, as we
(07:21):
might say, it might give
us the extra hour of
day time because of the
nature of what we do
to the clock.
But it also throws off
our rhythm.
And I know I'm not
the only one who feels
a little off balance for
a couple days after that
time change.
This time of year is
(07:42):
also busy for a lot
of us, as we start
to feel the strain of
that fourth quarter.
We're heading into the holidays.
We're balancing our work deadlines.
We're juggling family life and
family gatherings.
And it can get overwhelming
if we're not careful.
That's why today's episode isn't
(08:02):
about perfect sleep.
It's about small real-life
changes to get better sleep,
a little bit better, and
things we can do right
now to help us feel
more rested, more productive, more
connected, and more energized during
our 1,000 waking minutes
(08:22):
we have every day.
So here's something funny.
Thomas Edison, the man who
gave us electric light and
literally changed how we spend
our nights, enlightened, thought that
sleep was a waste of
time.
He thought it was a
(08:42):
relic from our cave days.
He bragged about getting only
three to four hours of
sleep a night.
But here's the thing.
Edison napped all the time.
His assistants and students apparently
outed him on this.
He couldn't even out-invent
biology, and neither can we.
(09:06):
And that's the truth about
sleep.
You can't out-work or
out-think it.
Believe me, I've tried.
You've probably tried at times.
For years, we took the
red eye on the West
Coast at the end of
a work day, overnight, and
tried to get off and
running, fresh start.
No one would miss us
because, you know, everyone in
(09:27):
the United States was sleeping
during that time and get
off and running, trying to
juggle work and life and
everything in between.
As a parent, and if
you're a caregiver for younger
or older individuals, you can
understand how hard it is
to fit sleep in at
times.
And if you're ambitious and
(09:47):
you've got goals, you probably,
you know, get excited, and
it can be hard to
sleep for a variety of
reasons.
It's certainly tough.
But I also know how
crucial it is to make
time for it.
Good thing is I have
always loved a good, productive
nap.
That and some other practices
have helped keep me energized
(10:07):
and healthy over time.
So this episode of
1,000 Waking Minutes is about
reclaiming some of those 440
minutes that we devote to
sleep so we can feel
sharper and healthier and find
our days more fulfilling and
(10:27):
our choices easier to make,
frankly.
There's a beautiful quote by
Thomas Decker, the 17th century
playwright, that sort of sums
up what we're talking about.
And I'm going to come
back to him and a
poem that he wrote later
in the episode.
But he said, "Sleep is
(10:47):
the golden chain that ties
health and our bodies together."
So one thing I want
to get fully entrenched in
you by the end of
this episode is just how
critical sleep is to our
productive life, particularly our health.
And sleep isn't a waste
of time.
In fact, we've been talking
about its connection for centuries.
(11:09):
But modern science just in
the last few decades has
really started to emerge to
show us how and why
it's so critical to our
biological health and how well
we age.
This is an investment that
helps everything else run smoother
during our restful and our
waking minutes of the day.
(11:30):
So let's dive into some
of the science-backed reasons
why these 440 minutes of
sleep are essential and how
reclaiming them can make all
the difference.
And this is what I
call the ROI, the returns
on investment or benefits of
getting adequate sleep.
So I've got a little
story about a good friend
(11:52):
of mine and a mentor,
a member of my doctoral
advisory committee actually for my
dissertation, a brilliant nutrition researcher
who's published hundreds of important
papers about nutrition and health,
one particularly notable, a landmark
study connecting nuts, particularly walnuts,
and cardiovascular health.
(12:12):
Well, he would tell a
story, and this is my
version of his story, that
when he first moved from
Spain, where he hails from,
to California many years ago,
he was already in a
pattern, a cultural pattern of
siestas, and he felt an
(12:34):
important part of his life.
But he found pretty quickly
that his siesta ritual, his
cherished midday rest, wasn't exactly
welcomed with open arms here
in the U.S. And
I'm adding a little bit
of my own embellishments to
this story, but I have
a pretty good recollection having
heard him tell me it
(12:54):
a couple different times over
the years.
And because I totally already
valued the power of a
power nap and how clear
and productive I felt after
taking one.
But not everyone understood, and
there wasn't sort of the
science and the growing support,
and I would say that
in some areas, there still
(13:15):
isn't sort of the understanding
and value of how important
sleep is, which I'm hoping
to convince you of today.
Well, as I recall, his
colleague's response ranged from funny
looks to curiosity to quiet
judgment on this idea of
a siesta.
Being very clever as an
individual and always sort of
(13:38):
being able to read the
room, I would say he
would muse that he would
call it something different.
He started calling his siestas
his zen yoga or zen
meditation and said sort of
just like that, no one
hardly even batted an eye
moving forward.
I always got such a
kick out of this idea
(13:59):
of sort of reframing something
that you wanted to do.
He was super highly productive,
had a massive teaching schedule,
was publishing day over day
and involved in leading primary
investigations on diet and health,
and still he had to
sort of find a way
to communicate his desire, his
(14:21):
need for that time, that
midday siesta.
Us being Southern California, we
were a little bit more
open.
It's already part of the
language, yoga and meditation.
It's become part of our
terminology, and so it worked.
(14:42):
But I want to underscore
here and ahead, sleep and
rest is never a sign
of weakness or being unproductive.
Sleep is a universal need.
It's a basic need.
It's not only about turning
down our temperature, putting our
bodies to rest.
(15:03):
It's about restoration.
It's about health, as you
will see.
The idea that we should
somehow be proud about lost
sleep, maybe you've run into
individuals who said, sort of
proudly stated, almost like competitively,
how little sleep they've gotten.
Well, I think it's a
bit of nonsense, and it's
sort of gotten us buried
(15:23):
in this cultural language of
success and competition being measured
by how much we can
suffer to live.
And when we sleep well,
we actually live better.
That's the reality.
So perhaps we can think
of it as powering down
to power back up, to
(15:45):
getting those recharges, whether it's
through a nap or working
toward getting more efficient, effective,
and restful sleep at night.
All right, so let's get
into the science, because sleep
isn't just the downtime.
It's essential maintenance and restoration
for everything from your metabolism
to your memory.
(16:07):
First, one benefit, weight management
and appetite, hormone control and
regulation.
In a study out of
the University of Chicago, researchers
found that people who missed
out on sleep craved snacks
with twice the fat content
as those who got eight
hours of rest.
So think about it.
Have there been times when
(16:27):
you have had less sleep
than you need and actually
started craving things and sort
of curious later, like, why
am I gravitating toward that
food?
It has to do with
sleep and our hormones.
It's not just that we're
looking for energy.
We have two important hormones
that are playing tug of
(16:47):
war commonly in our body.
And when we're low on
sleep, these two hormones are
called ghrelin and leptin.
They sort of get sluggish.
They get crisscrossed.
They don't operate properly.
Ghrelin is which tells you
to eat.
It goes up when you're
low on sleep.
It says eat more.
(17:08):
Why?
Probably because our ancestors probably
had to keep going and
stay awake to move to
find more food or to
get where they need to
go or outrun.
They probably needed it for
that reason.
But now the result is
that when we're low on
sleep, our ghrelin still goes
up, but it commands us
during our waking hours to
(17:29):
eat more.
Leptin is another hormone which
tells your body that you're
full, you're satisfied.
And it just doesn't show
up for the job the
same when you're low on
sleep.
It goes down when you're
awake and are low on
sleep.
So those late night munchies
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you get or wondering why
you crave cookies at midnight
or after a rough day
or rough night or midday
even the next day is
likely associated at least in
part with the quality of
your sleep.
It's not just in your
head.
It's literally your body trying
to fuel up, trying to
make sense of this little
(18:10):
bit of deprivation that's incremental
over time.
Poor sleep also makes it
easier to store the food
that you eat as fat,
unfortunately.
And research has supported that.
So it's sort of like
a double whammy.
Not only are you getting
all signals to eat more,
you're not getting the signal
to stop and your body
set up to go store
(18:32):
those extra calories easier than
it would otherwise as fat.
Benefit number two, better blood
sugar regulation and impact on
diabetes risk.
In fact, better sleep, lower
diabetes risk.
Poorer sleep increases diabetes risk.
So sleep plays a big
role in blood sugar control.
(18:53):
In fact, they're sort of
besties, this idea of blood
sugar and sleep for our
body.
One affects the other.
When one is off, the
other literally struggles.
A 2020 study published in
the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism found that even
a few nights of poor
sleep raises your hemoglobin A1C
(19:17):
levels.
That's a marker of your
blood sugar and how it
is running over the course
of a three-month or
approximately 90-day span.
Without quality sleep, your insulin
regulation goes haywire for the
next day and ongoing, and
it makes you also feel
tired and cranky.
You're not putting the sugar
where it needs to go
(19:37):
to make the energy.
Plus, your blood sugar goes
up, your regulation goes down,
and it sets us up
for a lot of problems,
not to mention increased risk
if you're at risk for
diabetes, more increased risk of
prediabetes and diabetes.
So think of it like
this.
If you're not getting enough
(19:58):
sleep, your body struggles to
process the sugar efficiently during
the day for energy, leading
then to a dreaded sugar
crash.
So again, it becomes this
big, messy cycle.
Another very recently published study
of more than 84,000
participants conducted by the Brigham
and Women's Hospital found that
(20:18):
even minor inconsistencies in your
sleep pattern, like shifting your
bedtime by an hour, can
contribute to health risks.
Now, this is something that
a lot of us are
likely to do at times.
It found that individuals with
the most irregular sleep durations
faced a 34% higher
(20:39):
risk of developing type 2
diabetes.
This is another reason why
you may have heard before,
but having consistent sleep routines,
including the weekends, may be
more beneficial to health.
This research highlights the metabolic
consequences of inconsistent sleep durations
(21:00):
and schedules.
This was published in Diabetes
Care just recently, several months
ago.
So this study reinforces the
ROIs and the importance of
maintaining consistent sleep for all
the other benefits I'm going
to say.
Even small shifts in your
bedtime can have longer-term
effects, making regular and quality
(21:20):
sleep super important for how
you will live your
1,000 waking minutes day after
day.
The third benefit is improvements
on cognitive performance and decision
-making.
Have you ever felt like
you're absolutely running on empty
after a bad night of
sleep?
I have.
That's not just your imagination,
(21:42):
for sure.
And here's the kicker.
Harvard Medical School researchers found
that being sleep-deprived slows
down your reaction time as
much, if not more, than
being legally intoxicated.
Let me say that again.
Being sleep-deprived slows down
your reaction time as much,
(22:02):
if not more, than being
legally intoxicated.
So this isn't just about
feeling groggy.
It's about how you show
up in life, really.
And fatigue itself has been
shown to impair motor function,
affects our sense of timing,
whether you're an athlete looking
for a performance edge or
(22:24):
someone trying to excel at
a project at work or
maybe just getting through the
day without another cup of
coffee to try to stimulate
you.
And I've been there, too.
Good sleep sharpens your decision
-making, your focus, and your
performance.
And it's measurable.
A fourth benefit is mental
health and mood.
Mental health, something we all
(22:45):
know is tied to how
we sleep already, plays a
huge role in our mood.
Studies show that even mild
sleep deprivation can lead to
irritability, depression, or just being
edgy, you know, that place
where you just can't shake
it.
You feel like you're just
on edge.
That's because sleep is essential
to our well-being and
(23:07):
to regulating, helping us regulate
our emotions and our mood.
In one review in the
journal Sleep Health, researchers noted
that people who improved their
sleep habits saw measurable improvements
in anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Another benefit is immune function
and longevity.
Sleep plays a huge role
(23:29):
in supporting a healthy immune
system.
If you've ever had that,
like, rundown feeling after too
many sleepless nights where you're
just not getting, you know,
enough sleep on a many
-day basis, or if you've
actually pulled an all-nighter,
and then suddenly you get
a terrible cold, it's like
(23:49):
adding insult to injury, and
you're like, why now?
You just made it through,
you thought.
Well, this isn't a coincidence.
There's actually research from the
journal Nature Communications that showed
that people who sleep less
than six hours a night
are four times more likely
to catch a cold than
those getting a full night's
rest, those 440 minutes on
(24:11):
average.
And why is that?
Well, because sleep is more
than rest.
It's more than catching a
few Zs.
It really is what allows
our body to build immunity.
I love the word restorative
because of all the things
that that can connote, all
those things that it can
do.
During sleep, we repair ourselves.
We build tissue, we fight
(24:33):
off infection, we fight off
the stuff of the day
before.
We set ourselves up for
a bright start for tomorrow.
And that's why people who
get consistent sleep not only
tend to feel better, they
tend to live longer, healthier
lives as well.
And finally, I want to
(24:53):
just mention a few foods
that can healthfully impact our
metabolism and our sleep.
A little bit of synergy
here.
I've written a number of
articles, done some television segments.
You know that I love
nutrition because that's my primary
degree in public health nutrition.
But there are actually some
foods that can help promote
(25:14):
a healthy sleep cycle.
The circadian rhythm, the rhythm
of our day, of being
awake when we're awake, winding
down when it's time to
rest, to rest well instead
of being awake when we're
supposed to sleep.
Bananas, pineapples, and oranges can
help your body create melatonin,
the hormone that helps regulate
sleep.
(25:34):
So melatonin does not put
you to sleep, but having
adequate melatonin and melatonin produced
in the body can help
us maintain a healthy sleep
cycle.
Another two foods, tart cherries
that I've talked about before,
and walnuts contain melatonin.
They're natural sources of melatonin.
And along with magnesium that
(25:56):
walnuts contains, magnesium can help
relax our muscles and our
nerves and help make our
sleep time more restful.
Some people with restless leg
syndrome or that get muscle
cramps at night benefit from
having magnesium either as a
supplement but certainly getting it
(26:17):
in their foods.
So thinking about simple snacks
like whole grain crackers with
cheese offers tryptophan, an amino
acid that helps serotonin and
melatonin.
So what you eat during
the day can actually set
you up for better rest
at night.
They won't make you sleepy,
(26:39):
but they'll help your circadian
rhythm, that sleep cycle.
So the takeaway from all
of these benefits is now
you know, sleep is not
just about rest.
It's about our essential maintenance
of the body.
It's for our mind and
our mood and everything in
between.
It provides our body with
what it needs to perform,
(26:59):
to think, and to even
stave off illness.
And we know it can
help our mood.
We just know that inherently.
There's words like moody for
a reason and crabby when
we haven't slept well.
The perks of sleep extend
into our decisions during the
day too.
So it affects everything.
You know, our blood sugar
(27:19):
regulation and even how our
hunger and satiety hormones work
during our 1,000 waking minutes.
And I can't emphasize enough
that sleep, those 440 minutes,
is really about what you
get during the sleep.
But it importantly impacts our
waking minutes so that we
can do all the heavy
lifting that we need to
do during our day to
(27:40):
perform and feel well.
So the good news is
even small changes can make
a big impact.
And that can start tonight.
You know how some stories
just stick with you because
they say something really meaningful
in a simple way?
Well, this is one of
those for me.
It's called The Worry Tree
by an unknown author.
And it's one that always
(28:01):
comes to mind when I
think about letting go of
stress and how important it
is to set things down
at the end of the
day so they don't follow
you into the night and
through the night.
I've shared this with classes
and workshops over the years,
and I think it's such
a beautiful reminder that while
we all carry worries, we
also have the ability to
choose where we put them.
(28:23):
In other words, how we
carry and handle them in
our lives.
Here's the story.
It goes like this.
A carpenter was working to
restore an old farmhouse.
He'd had a terrible, defeating
day.
A flat tire cost him
an hour of work already.
His electric saw quit.
And then his old pickup
truck wouldn't start.
(28:43):
By the end of the
day, he was frustrated and
exhausted.
The farmhouse owner offered to
drive him home.
As he did, something interesting
happened.
Before the carpenter walked through
his door, the farmhouse owner
noticed that he paused beside
a small tree.
(29:04):
The carpenter reached out and
touched the tips of its
branches.
As if by magic, he
underwent an amazing transformation, and
his whole demeanor changed.
He smiled, stood a little
taller, and went inside to
greet his wife and children
with happy hugs and kisses.
Later, when the farmhouse owner
(29:25):
asked him about the tree,
the carpenter explained, Oh, that's
my worry tree.
I know I can't help
having worries on the job,
but my worries don't belong
in the house with my
family.
So I hang them on
the tree every night when
I come home.
He pauses and then adds,
The funny thing is, when
(29:45):
I come out in the
morning, there aren't nearly as
many as I remember hanging
up the night before.
Obviously, that strikes a chord
with me, and I find
it so powerful, and almost
every time I get so
choked up about that story.
I love it because it
(30:05):
reminds us that even though
we can't avoid stress or
control everything, we can decide
not to carry it all
with us everywhere.
And sleep, just like life,
gets a little easier when
we leave some things behind.
Sometimes just setting it down,
even symbolically, can help us
(30:26):
sleep better and live better.
And I'm going to encourage
you to do this as
you cross the threshold into
your bedroom to rest each
night as well.
Now, let's take a moment
to pause with a Mindful
Minute, because small pauses like
this are where good habits
begin.
This is one inspired by
(30:46):
'The Worry Tree' story, and
I invite you to imagine
your own version of a
worry tree.
This exercise will help us
gently set things down so
we can later drift into
a more restful night or
just enjoy a moment of
calm during our busy days.
I'll prepare and guide you
(31:07):
for a moment, and then
I'll leave space for you
to breathe, reflect, and release.
Now, before we begin, close
your eyes, if it's safe
to do so, and take
a slow, deep breath in.
Picture a tree in front
(31:28):
of you.
Maybe it's a tree you
know or one from your
imagination.
Notice its branches swaying lightly
and the way the leaves
move with the breeze.
This is your worry tree.
Now imagine yourself reaching out
and placing today's worries, like
(31:48):
setting down pieces, or maybe
it's one heavy bag on
the tree.
Now let's begin our Mindful
Minute.
Just continue to lighten your
load onto the sturdy tree
branches as you breathe.
(32:19):
Feel your body soften as
you exhale.
Feel lighter.
The load is lifting.
(32:39):
Breathe in slowly, and as
you exhale, feel the relief
of knowing you don't have
to pick those worries back
up, at least not tonight,
or maybe not at all.
On our last breath here,
allow yourself to feel the
space you've created as if
(33:00):
your mind is clearing, making
room for rest.
Okay?
Small moments like this, where
we give ourselves permission to
set things down, are where
good sleep begins.
Just like the carpenter's tree,
(33:21):
this is a practice you
can use anytime, before bed,
after a stressful day, or
whenever you need a moment
to reset.
Sleep comes easier when we
leave a little bit of
the day behind.
Whether it's tonight or another
day, know that you can
always come back to your
own version of a worry
tree.
(33:41):
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute with me.
Now, let's get practical.
You don't have to overhaul
your entire life to sleep
better.
Small tweaks can make a
huge difference.
If you have very poor
sleep, it might take a
few steps in the process,
but small steps, I promise,
you can make enhancements right
away.
Pick one or two things
(34:02):
to try, and build from
there.
And here's where you can
start.
I have three main areas
that I'm going to talk
about.
Three-step approach, let's say.
The environment, the wind-down
routine, and easing into sleep.
So first, the environment.
Make your bedroom a sleep
(34:24):
sanctuary.
Now, I call this going
to the dark side.
Using blackout curtains or covering
small digital lights, I can't
emphasize enough.
Take inventory of how many
little lights you can see
in your room when the
lights are out.
If you wear glasses or
are nearsighted, I wear contact
(34:44):
lenses and glasses, and tiny
little lights become huge lights
in the night if there
are lights in the room.
Even the light from a
phone charger can disrupt melatonin
production.
So block it out like
a sleep ninja that you
are.
There are all kinds of
tricks that you can do
to still keep them functioning
if you have anything with
(35:04):
a remote control.
Next, within the environment, keep
the room cool.
You're better to have some
blankets on you, but keeping
the atmosphere, according to research,
between 60 and 68 degrees
can help trigger melatonin production
in your body and help
you sleep longer.
(35:24):
So you might want to
cuddle down, or if you're
like me, I get colder
when I'm tired, so I
want to really bundle, bundle
up.
But try to keep the
overall ambience a little bit
cooler in the room and
use blankets, and then you
can peel some of those
off as the night goes
on for better sleep.
Also try within your environment
(35:46):
to ditch your phone.
Use a non-smartphone digital
or analog clock to avoid
falling into what I call,
not the rabbit hole, but
the scroll hole at night.
Trust me, Instagram will still
be there in the morning,
as we all know, but
really trying to keep that
(36:07):
phone out of the room
unless it's there for emergencies,
and then still keep it
at a distance and use
something else for an alarm.
So the second tip is
creating a wind-down routine,
so it's about the routine.
First and foremost, I say
'close the kitchen' at the
right time.
Finish eating two to three
hours, preferably before bed, so
(36:27):
your body can focus on
restoration, not digestion when it's
sleeping.
Sometimes we forget that there
are actual things going on
when you're sleeping, and digestion
is one of them, especially
if you've got a heavy
load in your system.
It's got to keep working.
In fact, I always picture
it like construction workers pulling
up the bright lights if
you've had a late-night
(36:47):
dinner that's heavy.
It's working all night on
your digestion instead of all
the other great things that
I mentioned before that it
wants to do, like your
immune system and building new
cells and all the good
stuff.
So if you need to
have a little snack within
that two- to three
-hour window, keep it light,
and maybe focus on some
of those foods that I
mentioned before.
(37:08):
A couple crackers with a
little bit of cheese, a
few tart cherries, or yes,
some warm milk might do
the trick.
I have a little recipe
I call chamomilk, which is
a chamomile flour tisane or
tea with some milk, which
can help you ease into
sleep, a part of your
wind-down routine.
(37:28):
Try establishing a practice of
unplugging at a certain time
before you go to bed,
maybe an hour before your
bed, and give your brain
a break from the screens.
If you can't resist a
little bedtime screening, at least
switch the screen image to
be black screen with white
(37:49):
letters instead.
It's easier and it reduces
the blue light that's coming
in and kind of affects
our sleep hormones and can
interfere with sleep.
And as I mentioned before,
you can sip something before
bed.
You can have a little
bit of chamomilk or an
herbal tea, something cozy and
(38:10):
calming, something warm and soothing,
and then take that final
trip to the bathroom so
that you don't wake up
needing to go to the
bathroom in the middle of
the night.
You want to minimize that.
And the third of the
three steps is easing into
sleep and relax your way
into your sleep routine.
So this is about finding
(38:31):
your own sweet spot, making
sure that you find your
right position.
Preferably and optimally, it's sort
of like laying on your
left side can help with
digestion.
Maybe a small pillow between
your knees to help with
alignment.
Investing in a good pillow,
which you may need to
try out, not the one
that looks good on the
bed, that's what the throw
(38:52):
pillows are for, but the
one that actually helps you
rest.
And then establishing what is
your easing into sleep routine
going to look like?
We've wound down and now
we're actually going to sleep.
If you've heard of white
noise, I encourage you to
think about a newer term,
(39:13):
if you haven't heard it,
called pink noise.
You can download apps that
have pink noise, and these
have been found to be
better at sort of blocking
out distractions like snoring and
even sirens and things outside.
Pink noise is a certain
sort of frequency and wavelength,
(39:34):
but think of it like
waves of an ocean or
the gentle rainfall that keeps
you really in that really
meditative sleep state, and it's
called pink noise.
And there are some apps
that are available.
There are some machines that
can do, that can produce
some of these pink noise
sounds.
Try some aromatherapy, either for
(39:57):
a period of time as
you're easing into your sleep
state.
There are some diffusers that
you can get that you
can be on timers that
may bring in a little
bit of a lavender scent
or something that's very soothing
for you, sort of like
you would at a spa.
You can also put a
few drops of lavender oil
on your pillow, put some
(40:19):
at your temples or right
outside your nostrils if you're
not sensitive to that on
your skin that sort of
can help ease you into
sleep and bring those nice
aromas into your head and
your mind and to be
soothing as you go to
sleep.
So those are the three
main steps, establishing an environment
(40:41):
for healthy sleep, the wind
down routine, and things you
do to ease into sleep.
I just wanted to add
a couple more tips briefly.
One is the snacks that
you eat, the sleep foods,
so to speak, during your
day, which can help you
have more restful nights.
So remembering the bananas, pineapples,
and oranges that I mentioned
(41:02):
before that have compounds that
can help produce melatonin and
help with a healthy sleep
cycle.
Tart cherries and walnuts are
sources of melatonin and other
nutrients that can fit in
your day, either tart cherry
juice, there's been some research
on having tart cherry juice
or concentrate before bed, not
immediately before bed, helping with
(41:23):
healthy sleep, actual research.
And there's lots of research
on walnuts that you can
incorporate in a variety of
ways.
One of them may help
promote healthy sleep.
I haven't yet mentioned pumpkin
seeds and almonds, which are
sources of magnesium.
Magnesium helps relax our muscles
and may help us with
(41:43):
sleep at night, especially if
you have muscle cramping or
restless legs.
And those are easy to
combine in your day in
different kinds of trail mixes,
in baked goods, on salads,
and other places.
And then finally, a tip
about 3Ms, movement, mood, and
(42:04):
mindset.
Simple actions.
One is power naps.
I mentioned napping very briefly
before in my story about
the 'Zen yoga' meditation.
And if it feels indulgent
to you to nap, I've
met people who are like,
nap?
I've never napped.
Well, maybe you'll call it
one of these things, your
little Zen yoga session.
But a 20-minute nap
(42:25):
has shown to be enough
to recharge your energy without
disrupting your nighttime sleep.
So it's like powering down
to power back up, getting
a recharge.
Use the worry tree.
Hang up your worries.
Use a symbolic worry tree
in your life, whether it's
a little hook that you
(42:46):
hang at your bedroom door,
maybe a little sticker, maybe
a little picture of a
tree.
Touch it at night.
And remember that the worries
get left there.
And as you cross the
threshold into the area that
you sleep and rest, leave
your stress behind.
You might actually find fewer
(43:06):
worries the next day after
a good night's sleep, as
I'm sure has been the
case in your life.
It certainly has been in
mine.
And then a little bit
of movement, not fast movement.
We're not talking exercise here,
but healthy breathing and unwinding
practices like self-massage.
In other episodes, I've talked
about abdominal massage that can
(43:28):
help with digestion that you
can do at sleep.
But there are ways that
you can rub or massage
your body as well to
release tension and help you
ease into sleep.
One area is your temples.
Gently rub on your temples
in a circular pattern.
Also, my husband, who practiced
traditional Chinese medicine, talks about
(43:49):
areas at the base of
the skull where the neck
attaches the skull and it
gets tight and tense that
you can massage that area.
Not only does it feel
really good, but it can
help with the circulation of
the brain and the calming
and soothing as well.
If your feet feel tight
from a whole day on
your feet or just walking
around, maybe rolling your feet
(44:11):
on a golf ball or
if you have other kinds
of tools to do some
foot massage, those are ways
that you can use movement
to your benefit.
There's lots of tips.
I don't expect you to
use them all, but maybe
try one of them.
These tips aren't about perfection.
Life's too unpredictable for that,
and you will have nights
of poor sleep.
But even one or two
(44:31):
small changes can make a
big difference.
Sleep isn't just a break
from the day.
It's the fuel that powers
your 1,000 waking minutes
every day.
The choices we make about
food, rest, movement, and mindset
are all what set us
up to thrive tomorrow.
So which of these tips
(44:52):
are you going to try
tonight?
Take one and give it
a try.
If you've listened before, you
know I always pose a
question as we near the
end of each episode.
Here's today's question, something for
you to reflect upon.
What's one small change you
could make tonight to reclaim
a little more sleep and
feel better during your 1
,000 waking minutes tomorrow?
(45:15):
Take a moment with this
question.
The smallest shifts can make
a big difference.
Again, here's the question.
What's one small change you
could make tonight to reclaim
a little more sleep and
feel a little bit better
during your 1,000 waking
minutes tomorrow?
(45:36):
So we've come a long
way today talking about sleep.
A quick look back on
what we've covered today, we
talked about why these 440
minutes of sleep are so
important to our 1,000
waking minutes, not just for
rest, but our ROI, your
metabolism, your mental clarity, your
performance, and your long-term
health.
(45:57):
We also explored how small
practical tips can make a
big difference, like setting up
your bedroom as a sanctuary,
closing the kitchen a few
hours before bed, and adding
maybe a little lavender to
your pillow or some pink
noise or trying the Zen
meditation power nap during your
day to your routine.
(46:18):
Most importantly, we reminded ourselves
that sleep doesn't have to
be perfect, just intentional.
Even if life feels busy
and overwhelming, one or two
small changes can make all
the difference.
And while modern science has
been showing us just recently
in the last several decades
why sleep is so critically
important to our biology and
(46:39):
our longevity, this is not
a new topic.
This is a poem written
by playwright Thomas Decker of
the quote that I mentioned
at the beginning of the
podcast today, and also the
inspiration of the song Golden
Slumbers that the Beatles recorded
on Abbey Road.
It's called Cradle Song by
(46:59):
Thomas Decker.
"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
smiles awake you when you
rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not
cry, and I will sing
a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.
Care is heavy, therefore sleep
you.
(47:19):
You are care, and care
must keep you.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not
cry, and I will sing
a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby."
And on that note, I
hope that you have a
wonderful, restful, and restorative night.
(47:41):
Thank you so much for
spending some of your
1,000 waking minutes with me
today.
If you found today's episode
helpful, I'd love it if
you'd subscribe and share it
with a friend who could
use a little more sleep
as well in their life.
Remember, how we live today
shapes how we thrive tomorrow.
So let's reclaim a few
(48:03):
minutes of rest and wake
up feeling better.
Not perfect, but better.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, and until
next time, be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
(48:23):
production and marketing teams, and
Gabriela Escalante in particular.
To the ultra-talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design, to
Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna
Powell, and of course my
family, and everyone working tirelessly
behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
(48:44):
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review, and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes that's
us, a five-star rating.
And please hit subscribe on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever
you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stay connected
(49:05):
at wendybazilian.com.
And don't forget to share
with your friends.
Your support helps us grow
and bring you more great
content.
Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each
day.
I'm saying yes to better
(49:28):
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
I'm saying yes to better
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
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