The Sleep Paradox: Why Trying Harder Makes It Worse | Mayo Clinic On Human Optimization E59

Why is it that the more we think about falling asleep, the harder it becomes? Our mindset around sleep plays a huge role in our ability to fall asleep, the amount of sleep we get and the quality of that sleep. So how can we use our mindset to our advantage? This episode, we speak with Bhanu Kolla, M.B.B.S., M.D., the co-author of the Mayo Clinic Guide to Better Sleep. He’s also a professor of psychiatry and psychology with clinical appointments in the Center for Sleep Medicine and the Division of Addiction Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The three big questions we discuss with Dr. Kolla are: 1. What is the connection between sleep and psychology, and how does that relationship affect our sleep? 2. What are the most common mental traps that negatively impact our sleep? 3. What steps can we take now to optimize our mindset to help us get the best sleep? Sign up to receive Mayo Clinic Press emails: https://links.e.response.mayoclinic.org/MCPressAFSignup Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books: https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/podcasts/?utm_campaign=agingforward&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast  Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at mcppodcasts@mayo.edu. 0:00 Sleep mindset and episode overview 2:04 Defining the right sleep mindset 4:41 How sleep supports brain health 7:13 Sleep, anxiety and depression connection 11:47 Common mental traps affecting sleep 14:28 Rethinking sleep deprivation culture 17:10 Revenge bedtime procrastination explained 19:04 Sleep trackers and orthosomnia concerns 21:08 Light, content and melatonin effects 22:56 Decision fatigue and bedtime routines 24:28 Hope for chronic sleep difficulties 26:24 Setting realistic sleep expectations 28:48 Building a better sleep routine 30:28 Normal time to fall asleep 31:12 Calming a hyperactive mind 32:07 Recovering after poor sleep 35:17 Key takeaways on sleep mindset 38:00 Nighttime wind-down challenge 40:00 Podcast resources and closing 40:56 Medical disclaimer and disclosures Learn more about On Human Optimization and access Pod-Club questions at https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize Instagram: @MayoHumanOptimization YouTube: On Human Optimization - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu