Meet Your Sleep Guide, Dr. Valerie Cacho MD

[AthletaWellTeam]

Dr. Valerie Cacho (@Valerie_C)  is an Integrative Sleep Medicine Physician based in Oahu, Hawaii. Her favorite ways to move are walking, swimming and pilates. 

Start a conversation with Val about Sleep in the comments below.

"I’m here to break down the science in bite sized information that will help you drift off to sleep peacefully,

as well as up-level your overall health."

Learn more about Val on her website here. 

LEARN ABOUT SLEEP FROM VAL

Sleep Hygiene 101

The Link Between Sleep & Emotions

ASK VAL YOUR SLEEP QUESTIONS BELOW

[aquagal49]

Hi 👋  Dr. @Valerie_C - I love my evening glass of red wine 🍷 I enjoy it so much…I fall asleep great and then a few hours later I’m lying awake staring at the ceiling - I’ve heard about this, but I’m not sure what’s going on here? Any tips for still enjoying my wine without waking up in the middle of the night?

[starshine]

Hi Dr @Valerie_C 
I've been struggling with waking up in the middle of the night for several years and crashing in the afternoon. I've tried so many things but nothing seems to work for the long term.I am reaching the point where my brain fog is so severe that I can barely focus on my work. I'm actually scared. I don't want to read another article linking lack of sleep to alzheimers etc! People think my problem is that I don't prioritize sleep and it's somehow a behavioral issue. I've got something going on that is hard to pinpoint. I don't know how or if you can help, or maybe share your contact info but I really need to find a solution. The fatigue is awful!

[Valerie_C]

Thanks @starshine for the message. Sorry you have been feeling unwell for so long. Sent you a direct message. Let’s connect! 😊

[EYogini]

My sleep is very disrupted. Most often, I fall asleep at night, then wake up 3 or 4 hours later with a headache. I often can’t get black to sleep until it’s almost time to get up. All this means that I am very tired, foggy and not at my best throughout the day. It’s very frustrating, and I can’t function well. In addition, I sometimes have difficulty falling asleep at night. Any suggestions you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Valerie_C]

@EYogini completely agree how not getting good sleep can leave you frustrated, I certainly want to offer you hope. I would suggest talking to your doctor about medical reasons for headaches. I can provide only general education here. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is a common reason for people to have a hard time maintaining sleep and waking up with headaches. Since sleep is so vital for performance disruptions in sleep can cause the daytime symptoms you are experiencing. Circadian rhythm issues, sleep habits and stress are big culprits that can keep someone from falling asleep. Sleep week on Athletawell is coming up at the end of the month. Hopefully we can answer more of your concerns there!