32: Brain Injuries, Benadryl & Bed - Understanding how sleep aids impact your cognitive function and concussion recovery with Melissa Biscardi
Release Date: 02/15/2022
A Prescription for My Own Medicine
The Word On The Sleep
In this short solo episode, I share what my plan is for the next 2 months and how you can fix your sleep in the meantime! If you're someone who falls asleep fine but wakes up in the night and struggles to get back to sleep, take the Break Up With The Wake Up Quiz here (). Ready to fix your broken sleep now? I share all my secrets at
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A little update on life
The Word On The Sleep
Wondering where I’ve been over the past 6 weeks? In this short episode, I share a little life update (it’s actually a big one), the 3 things I’ve learned and encourage you to take away as well. Are you someone who falls asleep fine but wakes up in the night? Take the :
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Replay - Listening To Your Inner Voice & Speaking Your Truth To Get Back To Sleep with Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, ND
The Word On The Sleep
Do you find it difficult to quiet your mind at night, or turn off your busy brain? Maybe you have restless, ruminating thoughts that repeat over and over when your head hits the pillow or when you wake up in the middle of the night. While our tendency can be to ignore this inner voice, my guest, Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur ND, encourages women to listen in. In this episode, we talk about how women too often ignore their inner voice and intuition, which becomes a huge source of stress that ultimately keeps you up at night. Instead, Dr. Sarah has a powerful message to encourage women to reconnect...
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Replay - From Busy Brain to Tranquil Mind: Addressing Anxiety to Get Better Sleep with Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken
The Word On The Sleep
If you are someone who struggles with anxiety - or the “busy brain” - or what I like to call “Monkey Mind” at night, this episode is for you. I’m joined by my friend and colleague, Dr. . Katie has a clinical focus in treating anxiety and is the creator of The Tranquil Minds Program and author of Create Calm - and has graciously shared a free copy of her audiobook with you! In this episode, Katie and I have a beautiful conversation about anxiety and sleep. We went deep and talked about: The 3 archetypes of anxiety and how where they come from Why we’re really feeling anxious...
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Replay - Why you really wake up in the night and are only getting limited success in your health - with Adele Tevlin
The Word On The Sleep
What if you reframed your trouble sleeping as something positive? Say whaaaaat?! My guest on this episode is Adele Tevlin, my very own mindset coach, and biz mentor. Adele is known for her ability to bust limiting beliefs that keep people stuck and experiencing limited success in their health, relationships, careers, and finances. She is a master at reframing our experiences into opportunities. Adele can see people’s blind spots and all that gets in the way of their ability to accomplish their goals. She's a pattern interrupter and behavioral expert and can help shift any undesired behaviors...
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Replay - Menopause & Sleep - What’s really happening and what to do about it with Dr. Kara Dionisio, ND.
The Word On The Sleep
If you are a woman or a person with ovaries, this episode is a must-listen. Peri-menopause and menopause often leave women feeling that they’re in unchartered territory. But my guest today, Dr. Kara Dionisio, Naturopathic Doctor, is here to guide you on your way. At least 40-60% of women will report sleep disturbances across their lifetime, with a particular increase in incidence around menopause. We’re here to tell you, you don’t have to just live with it. Dr. Kara walks us through what’s really happening in peri-menopause and menopause, how your hormones impact almost every aspect of...
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Replay - Is cortisol the cause of your insomnia?
The Word On The Sleep
Stress is likely not a stranger to you; it can have a HUGE impact on your sleep and for many people is the cause of their insomnia. You’re stressed and you can’t sleep. You can’t sleep and you get stressed. Sound familiar? In this episode of The Word On The Sleep, I break down: The top signs and symptoms that your cortisol is out of whack and causing your sleep issues Why cortisol levels become dysfunctional and out of balance My Top 3 Tips for controlling cortisol to get better sleep If this episode describes you, how stress is impacting your sleep and how cortisol might...
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Replay - Burning it at both ends: How prioritizing your sleep can help you recover from burnout with Dr. Michelle Peris, ND
The Word On The Sleep
Isn’t it ironic that we can work ourselves into exhaustion that causes us to struggle to sleep? But that’s exactly what can happen in burnout - and something we need to talk more about! In this episode, I’m joined by one of my closest friends and incredible colleague, Dr. Michelle Peris. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to disrupt the healthcare model by creating connections and using community medicine. She is the creator of The Wild Collective, a transformational women’s health care program that as a facilitator, has also changed my life. If you’re someone who finds the idea of taking...
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Does thinking about work keep you up at night? With Dr. Emily Bennett, ND
The Word On The Sleep
The most common sleep complaint I hear my patients describe is that middle of the night wake up in which their mind starts racing. If this happens to you too, how many of those nights do you spend thinking about your work stress? Pssst if it’s most of them, you’re not alone! So then the question is - what can you do about it? Maybe you can’t change your job, but maybe you can change the way you feel and function within it. So I called in my friend and colleague, Dr. Emily Bennett, ND, who is incredibly passionate about helping both employees and their workplaces treat and...
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Why perfectionism is ruining your sleep, sex and sanity with Dr. Ellen Wong, ND
The Word On The Sleep
Honest question - do you try and tackle your overwhelm by doing MORE? Maybe you haven’t thought about it that way… but if you are someone who is: A people pleaser A yes person A perfectionist Go-go-go (at the cost of your sleep, perhaps?!) Yet, you often find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and maybe even burnt out, you might have something called high-functioning anxiety (even if you don’t think you’re the anxious type!). The good news is that there is a way we can interrupt the cycle. In this episode, I’m joined by my colleague Dr. Ellen Wong, ND, who has...
info_outlineMy guest on this episode of The Word on The Sleep is Melissa Biscardi. Melissa is a registered nurse and osteopathic manual practitioner who struggled with sleep through shift work and student life.
She resorted to taking Benadryl to help her sleep and this had unintended consequences on her cognitive health.
In this episode, Melissa shares her story of recovery and we talk about:
- Why and how you can be better supported in your quest for better sleep
- How sleep, concussions, cognitive function and dementia are connected
- The risks of using sleep aids (over the counter or prescription) long-term
Melissa has such a unique story and perspective to share - I hope you learn a lot in this episode and share it with someone else - person or practitioner - who could learn something too.
With that, I bring you, Melissa!
Follow Melissa on Instagram:
@the.rehab.lab
www.rehablab.ca