How do we sleep?
There is no consensus on if sleep is for the brain, body or both. But the difference in how we feel following disrupted sleep or having a good night of continuous sleep is striking. Understanding how and why we sleep will likely give insights into many aspects of health. In this talk I will outline our recent work on how the prefrontal cortex can signal to the hypothalamus to regulate sleep preparatory behaviours and sleep itself, and how other brain regions, including the ventral tegmental area, respond to psychosocial stress to induce beneficial sleep. I will also outline our work on examining the function of the glymphatic system, and whether clearance of molecules from the brain is enhanced during sleep or wakefulness.
Leadership Support and Workplace Psychosocial Stressors
Research evidence indicates that psychosocial stressors such as work-life stress serves as a negative occupational exposure relating to poor health behaviors including smoking, poor food choices, low levels of exercise, and even decreased sleep time, as well as a number of chronic health outcomes. The association between work-life stress and adverse health behaviors and chronic health suggests that Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) interventions such as leadership support trainings may be helpful in mitigating effects of work-life stress and improving health, consistent with the Total Worker Health approach. This presentation will review workplace psychosocial stressors and leadership training approaches to reduces stress and improve health, highlighting a randomized controlled trial, the Military Employee Sleep and Health study.