The Visible Voices

Author: Resa E Lewiss

Language: en-us

Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine, Society & Culture

Contact email: Get it

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Sleep Medicine and Circadian Rhythm Expert Katie Sharkey on Making Your Sleep Visible
Episode 235
Wednesday, 4 March, 2026

In this episode of Visible Voices, host Dr. Resa E. Lewiss sits down with sleep medicine physician and circadian rhythm expert Dr. Katie Sharkey — inaugural director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms at Wake Forest University School of Medicine — to break down the science of sleep health, insomnia treatment, and women's sleep across the lifespan. They cover why alcohol disrupts sleep quality and worsens sleep apnea, how circadian rhythms regulate mood and mental health, the truth about naps and melatonin, perimenopause and sleep disturbances, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and digital CBT-I apps, wearables like the Oura Ring and the risk of orthosomnia, the glymphatic system's role in brain detox during sleep, AI-powered sleep scoring, and the perinatal sleep crisis driving maternal morbidity. Dr. Sharkey closes with three actionable microskills: keeping a sleep diary, maximizing daytime light exposure, and practicing self-compassion around sleep variability. Wish to help the show? Click 👍🏻 on YouTube Leave ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Apple. Subscribe here and send it to a friend.