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Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
Have you ever felt unusually moody, stressed, or scatterbrained to the point you forgot why you walked into a room? Don’t worry; even as a professional in the health and wellness field, I’m raising my hand too. We’ve all been there. And guess what? Your struggles in everyday life might have everything to do with what’s happening—or not happening—while you lay your head down at night. Consider this your sleep helpline!
In my latest episode of the Love, Happiness, and Success podcast, I had the incredible pleasure of chatting with Dr. Michelle Okun, a health psychologist and sleep scientist. Together, we explored why sleep is not just about feeling rested but is actually the bedrock of your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
And spoiler alert: the science of sleep will blow your mind—and might even inspire you to rethink your late-night Netflix binges.
Sleep Wellness
Let’s start with the basics: sleep isn’t just a passive state. Dr. Okun explained that during sleep, your body and brain are doing serious work. Think of your body as an office and sleep as the supply restocking crew that comes in overnight. Without that crew, everything from your immune system to your emotional stability takes a hit.
For example, insufficient or poor-quality sleep can increase inflammation in your body, which has ripple effects on mood disorders, chronic pain, and even metabolic conditions like diabetes. It also elevates cortisol, your primary stress hormone, which wreaks havoc on everything from your mood to your physical health.
On top of that, sleep deprivation interferes with your brain’s ability to clear out toxins—a deep-cleaning process that happens during deep sleep—leaving you at a higher risk for cognitive decline due to lack of sleep. In short, sleep isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Effects of Sleep Debt
Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you feeling groggy—it kickstarts a vicious cycle. When you don’t sleep well, your body produces more cortisol, your stress hormone. This stress can make it even harder to fall or stay asleep, creating a loop that affects everything from your immune function to your ability to concentrate.
Even your eating habits can spiral out of control. When you’re sleep-deprived, your brain craves high-calorie, sugary foods for a quick dopamine hit. It’s a survival mechanism gone awry.
We all know stress and overwork are significant disruptors, but here’s why: When your brain can’t power down at night, it disrupts your sleep cycle and leaves you running on fumes the next day. Blue light from screens also plays a sneaky role. It suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to wind down.
And let’s not forget the sneaky culprits of caffeine and alcohol. While caffeine keeps you alert long after you’ve enjoyed that 3 PM latte, alcohol might make you sleepy but disrupts the quality of your REM sleep.
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