Is a lack of good sleep ruining our lives and our running? Claire wanted to find out, so she invited sleep expert Dr Shelby Harris on the show to talk about it.
Dr. Harris is the former director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center. Now in private practice in White Plains, NY, she treats a wide variety of sleep disorders such as insomnia, nightmares, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, and more using evidence-based behavioral treatments. She has researched the neuropsychological effects of insomnia in older adults as well as behavioral treatments for insomnia, parasomnias, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Dr. Harris has written for the New York Times and Psychology Today and has been quoted in media such as The Huffington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, and New York Magazine. She has appeared on the Today Show, World News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, and more.
In other words, she knows a lot about sleep and she is a runner herself. Claire asks her how we can better decide to prioritize sleep over running and whether afternoon runners or morning runners are doing a better job with their sleep. They talk about how much sleep we really need and how to get more of it.
And if you are a runner with kids, this episode is especially for you because your little ones might just need a little more sleep too.
And just so you know, if you are listening to this at 2am because you can’t sleep and you just happen to fall into dreamland before the show is over, we’ll take it as a compliment!
Questions:
- What fascinates you about sleep so much that you chose to make it your life’s work?
- We all know that sleep is important, but it seems like there is more and more new research about just how crucial it is. Let’s start with the importance of sleep for everyone, and especially runners.
- What happens when we don’t get enough? Is it possible to get too much?
- Many runners wake up early in the morning to run before their families wake up and often they sacrifice their sleep to do so. What are some “best practices” for early morning runners?
- On the other end of the running spectrum are the afternoon or evening runners. How does late afternoon or evening running affect sleep?
- On a personal level, I have suffered from insomnia my whole life. I can fall asleep easily, but I wake up in the middle of the night and often times, I can be awake for hours. What causes this and what can I do to prevent it?
- How does alcohol affect sleep?
- If you can’t sleep well at night, are naps a good substitute? What do we need to know about the timing and duration of naps?
- Can you make up for lost sleep over the weekend?
- Many runners listening to this show have kids, so I wanted to ask you about sleep recommendations for kids as well. Do you find that our kids are sleep-deprived as well? How do we ensure as parents that they get enough?
- It seems like as we age, getting good sleep is harder to do. Why is that? And how can we get more?
- What questions in the science of sleep still need to be answered? What is next for you?
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This episode is brought to you by LMNT Watermelon:
When coaching endurance runners of all levels to be their best, I always emphasize the need for proper hydration with the right balance of electrolytes. Most athletes I’ve coached are surprised to learn that their sodium needs are actually much higher than they expected and it’s been hurting their performance.
Part of the reason athletes need much more sodium than they think is not just because they lose electrolytes through their sweat, but also because athletes tend to eat very healthy diets. They’ve been told that salt is a bad thing in food and frequently don’t get enough for their lifestyle.
Much of the science of sodium is based on people who eat highly processed diets which also are very low in potassium. It could actually be the low potassium levels causing the issues that sodium has been blamed for!
What is clear is that both sodium and potassium at the proper levels are essential for high performance (and for life in general!).
When I race, I don’t crave sweet, I crave salt and LMNT is the perfect way to hydrate and replenish the electrolytes I need to perform and feel my best.
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