Feeling stressed out and tired? In this episode of Virgin Active Minds, Mark Seeto welcomes sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo to discuss the impact of stress on sleep. Olivia shares her insights and experiences as a sleep expert and explains how stress affects our biochemistry and nervous system, causing restlessness and difficulty sleeping. The conversation covers the various types of stress and how they contribute to poor sleep, including psychological stress, blue light exposure, and cortisol spikes from checking your phone in the morning. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the sources of stress and how they impact our sleep and overall health.
Our favourite quotable moments:
"People are waking up mentally foggy, exhausted and relying on three cups of coffee." (2:45)
“Drinking too much alcohol stresses the body. Having too much caffeine stresses the body. Lack of sleep also stresses the body." (9:29)
"The most effective exercise for sleep, overall, which outweighs aerobic exercise, which outweighs anaerobic... is actually yoga because it connects mind and body. It helps calm down the central nervous system so you are less stressed overall." (12:44)
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Olivia Arezzolo is Australia’s leading Sleep Expert, Speaker and Author. After 9 years of study, Olivia’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), Certificate of Sleep Psychology, Diploma of Health Science (Nutritional Medicine), and a Certificate 3+4 in Fitness.
To date, Olivia has been featured on Forbes, The Today Show and The Morning Show; partnered with global brands including Sealy Posturepedic and Ikea, has her own column in the leading health publication in Australia - Body and Soul - and has recently released her book, Bear, Lion or Wolf, now published in 11 countries.