March 17, 2021

Dr. Pam Peeke's Best Sleep Tips

Dr. Pam Peeke is Embr’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO). She is a nationally renowned physician, scientist, expert, and thought leader in the fields of integrative and preventive medicine. In addition to writing three New York Times bestselling books, hosting a popular women’s health and wellness podcast, and being a celebrated TEDx speaker, Dr. Peeke is an avid triathlete, outdoors person, and dog lover.  In honor of sleep month, we wanted to get her best tips for getting the best night of rest possible.     1. Make sure to get enough light during the day via GIPHY     Especially during the winter months, it can be hard to get enough light during the day. Many of us understand that this can have a big impact on our moods, but it also can impact our sleep. Dr. Peeke explains: “we live on a circadian rhythm that’s 24 hours each day — you have a daytime and a nighttime. If you don’t get enough daylight, you don’t maintain synchrony with your own clock, which can really mess up your sleep.” Dr. Peeke recommends making sure that your light exposure increases during the day. This can be extra motivation to go outside during your day, even if that means a short walk at lunch. If that’s not possible, do your best to make your environment bright: work somewhere with windows or turn on the lights if your space is usually dark. Being attentive to these daytime and nighttime rhythms can be a huge step towards feeling more rested.    2. But get the lights off when it’s finally time via GIPHY   For many of us, the last thing we do before bed is check our devices. It’s hard not to, many people keep their alarms on their phones or read a book on their tablet as a nighttime routine. That being said, it’s fairly well documented that the light from our screens can majorly disrupt our sleep. That’s because the blue wavelengths emitted by our devices boost attention, reaction time, and mood — good for our workdays, but less so bedtime.  The easiest way to manage this is to put your phone away two or so hours before bed. If that’s not so possible, try and limit other screens by a certain hour of the day, or stop computer usage from your bed. Even just cutting out some of your screen time can have a big impact on your night of sleep. “Don’t be sitting there with your nose in a text message right before you go to bed,” Dr. Peeke suggests. “Read a book, take a bath, just relax.”   3. Get up at the same time (yes, even on weekends) via GIPHY A huge part of sleep hygiene is creating habits and routines around sleeping, and Dr. Peeke is a big believer in this. Some of that is bedtime habits and making sure that you’re getting to bed on time with limited distractions. However, a less talked about strategy is waking up at the same time every day — even on the weekends.  Like we mentioned earlier, our bodies are on a 24-hour circadian rhythm clock. When that clock is misaligned, it can disrupt all sorts of things. Going to sleep at the same time can sometimes be tricky; even when we close our eyes at the same, we can’t really control when we’ll actually nod off. That being said, waking up at the same time (if we commit to not hitting the snooze), is manageable and helps to reinforce our circadian rhythm. In return, we are actually prompted to go to sleep at the same time every night. “Develop a routine, and stick to a routine,” says Dr. Peeke. “The more regularity, the more optimal sleep you’re going to get.”     4. Get your temperature right   via GIPHY   It’s probably not surprising that sleep and temperature are related. Many of us have been up at night, tossing and turning because our room feels like a furnace, or shivering because our partner took all the covers. “A lot of people find that bedroom temperature is key to maintaining excellent sleep.” Explained Dr. Peeke.  There is an intimate relationship between sleep and temperature that goes beyond just putting the thermostat on the right setting for you. Your body changes temperature throughout the day, in line with your Circadian rhythm. It’s why you’ve likely observed that when you have a fever, it tends to spike mid-day. Falling asleep is accompanied by a drop in core body temperature, as well as entering REM sleep.  Because of this, it’s generally agreed upon that sleeping in cooler temperatures helps you fall asleep faster and have better sleep quality overall. Rooms with temperatures of 60-68 degrees help stimulate the production of melatonin, which encourages sleep. “A lot of people sleep with their bedroom way warmer than it should be.” Dr. Peeke says. “Try experimenting with how far below 68 degrees you can go while still staying comfortable.”     5. Your health habits during the day impact you at night   via GIPHY   There are so many wellness habits that can impact your sleep. How you take care of your body and mind during the day can play a huge role in your night. Dr. Peeke says things like drinking too much before bed, not getting physically active, or eating too close to bed can all contribute to a suboptimal night of sleep. Her biggest tip, though, is to focus on the mental health aspect of that. “Just avoid high stress as much as you can.” Says Dr. Peeke. “Clear away some time, carve it out. If you can add a relaxing bath or shower, that’s great.” Taking it easy in the evening, and taking good care of your body during your day, can help you feel more well-rested at night.

January 20, 2021

Forgetting Flashes, Finding Confidence

Gilda had a presentation to give for work, and she was nervous—but not for any of the reasons you might normally expect.  High up in her company of marketing creatives, she was no stranger to leading teams of designers and illustrators, and she knew that confidence was a huge part of handling professional situations, especially as a woman. But that day, there was something else on her plate: the looming possibility that a hot flash could strike at any moment, derailing her both physically and mentally. “Only 1/100 creative directors are women,” Gilda explained over the phone to Embr Labs. “It’s hard enough to get there... and even harder when you’re dealing with hot flashes.” Like countless other women entering menopause, Gilda found herself suddenly facing the challenges, stress, and anxiety caused by a daily barrage of hot flashes. “They were frequent and intense.”  The hot flashes were physically uncomfortable, but the social and psychological discomfort was equally distressing. Having to deal with hot flashes was a regular source of embarrassment for Gilda, as she traveled often for work and most of her coworkers were younger than her.  “I would be giving a presentation or traveling and all of the sudden I would just break out into a sweat,” Gilda said. “I felt so embarrassed.” The disruptions weren’t limited to her professional life. Outside of work, Gilda is a harp player, and she began having anxiety-induced hot flashes before performances. “It’s very hard to play well when you’re sweating so much, especially in front of people.” Gilda saw an ad for Embr Wave online but was skeptical, unconvinced that the device would really be able to help her out in any significant way. However, her boyfriend knew that Gilda had been suffering, and, interested in supporting an MIT startup, bought her an Embr Wave for Christmas.    Excited and curious, she slipped it on that day, and much to her surprise and delight, she found that the Wave helped her almost immediately. “I started to get a hot flash, I pressed the button, and it just went away.” She spent the day making everyone in her family try it on, so they could feel the instant cooling sensation. Getting a Wave not only helped her deal with the physical sensations of hot flashes but also gave her more confidence and comfort in her professional life. With the Wave, she no longer was carrying the fear that a poorly timed hot flash would disrupt an important presentation or meeting. “It was a total life-changer.”  Gilda is now able to manage her hot flashes discreetly at work. When she feels one coming on, she just presses the button on her Wave, and relief is on the way. Knowing that she has the power to control her comfort has restored the professional confidence that menopause took away.  She’s also able to play the harp and perform the way she used to, without any added anxiety.  For Gilda, the Wave is not just a tool that helps her feel cooler, but it represents a larger and more profound change in her outlook. She says the Wave has helped make her menopause journey feel less like something she needed to be ashamed of.  “There is so much stigma around menopause, and [the Wave] really helps manage that,” said Gilda. “It’s an accessory. It’s fun, it’s kind of a hip thing to have.” From a professional perspective, Gilda explained, it empowers older women to recognize that they don’t need to feel ashamed about their natural aging processes.  “People imagine middle-aged women to be these frumpy, lifeless people. But there are so many beautiful, lively, and engaged older women who are ready to take on huge things.”