Epsiode 3: Dr Kirstie Anderson - Why Sleep is Important

One of the first signs of depression is a change in sleep habits. People who have depression often say that they either have difficulty falling and staying asleep despite feeling tired (insomnia) or it’s all they want to do and they still feel tired (hypersomnia). We invited leading sleep neurologist, Dr Kirstie Anderson, to explain why sleep is important and the role it plays in our mental wellbeing. Some questions we ask: What can we do to improve the quality of sleep? What’s the best way of re-setting your body clock? What can we do to help our brain unwind before bed? How important is a bed-time routine? Want to learn more about Dr Anderson? Here you go: Dr Kirstie Anderson BMedSci, MBBS, MRCP, DPhil (Oxon) Dr Anderson delivers the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for insomnia programme at sleepstation and runs a large research programme within Newcastle University. She is one of the UK's foremost sleep specialists. As one of the few consultant neurologists to specialise in sleep, she works within one of the country's largest sleep clinics where people with every type of sleep disturbance are seen and successfully treated including those with severe insomnia. She has published papers on a range of sleep disorders and delivers lectures on every aspect of sleep. Website: https://sleepstation.org.uk