Insomnia with Lauren Hale and Michael Kelleher

GP consultations with patients about sleep problems can go in several directions – could they be a symptom of depression? Financial worries? Sleep apnoea? Is poor sleep merely a condition of modern life? Sleep is a key component of our wellbeing, and talking to a patient about their sleep patterns and habits can be a great window into their life. For optimal sleep health, it is important to follow good sleep hygiene practices, but how can we convey what seems like such a simple message to patients who are experiencing insomnia? In this week’s episode, we also discuss social determinants of sleep health, and managing the potentially addictive drugs prescribed for insomnia, such as benzodiazepines. Our guests: Lauren Hale is a professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Program in Public Health, at Stony Brook University in New York. She is a board member, and vice-chair, of the American National Sleep Foundation, as well as a board member of the National Scientific Advisory Board for Children and Screens.

Michael Kelleher is a consultant addiction psychiatrist, working as the clinical lead for Addictions for Lambeth at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.