#54 - Insomnia and the Five Senses: See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me

The five senses are our brain's main way of collecting information about our immediate environment. They have a powerful effect on our moods, cognition, and the way we experience the world. They are also integral to the way we sleep and deal with insomnia. I recently met Gretchen Rubin and read her latest book Life in Five Senses. In this episode, we will explore heightening and honing our five senses as a portal for improving our sleep and managing insomnia. In this episode we will:Discuss visualization and rehearsal as a means to relax and combat insomniaExplore the creation of an Auditory Hypnotic playlist and how curating music/songs that relax you can be a helpful tool to set the stage for improved sleepReview the current data on white noise and its effects on sleep outcomesDiscuss smell and olfaction as a tool for sleepEvaluate different novel smells and their relative effects on sleep and insomniaRevisit tart cherry juice and other pre-bedtime drinks as a way to establish routine via tasteIntroduce the concept of "sleep-touch" and review a recent study about how it effects the sleep of couplesProduced by: Maeve WinterMusic by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reservedMoreTwitter: @drchriswinterIG: @drchriwinterThreads: @drchriswinterBluesky: @drchriswinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested ChildThanks for listening and sleep well!