In this episode of Hart2Heart, Dr. Mike Hart is joined by Dr. Chris Aiken, the Carlat Psychiatric Report editor and assistant professor at NYU and Wake Forest University. Dr. Aiken shares his expertise in improving mental health through natural methods, emphasizing the importance of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia and lifestyle changes over medications. Dr. Aiken and Dr. Hart give practical tips to enhance our overall well-being and remedy insomnia by understanding and respecting our circadian rhythms, using tools like blue light-blocking glasses and dawn simulators, and adopting healthier sleep and wake habits.

Guest Bio and Links:

Dr. Chris Aiken is a psychiatrist specializing in mood disorders and the editor of the Carlat Psychiatric Report. He is an assistant professor at NYU and Wake Forest University, focusing on natural and lifestyle-based approaches to mental health.

Listeners can learn more about Dr. Chris Aiken at his website and on X @chrisaikenmd

Resources:

Dr. Chris Aiken’s Books

The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast

Recommended brands of blue light-blocking glasses

The Cognitive Benefits of Matcha

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams By Matthew Walker

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome back to the Hart2Heart Podcast with Dr. Mike Hart

• (0:15) Dr. Hart introduces Dr. Chris Aiken to the listeners

• (1:00) Dr. Aiken gives a brief bio of himself and his profession as a Psychiatrist

• (1:45) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

• (3:10) Non-pharmacological methods to improve insomnia

• (4:00) Understanding circadian rhythms

• (5:50) How to discover your optimal wake time and chronotype

• (9:40) Benefits of blue light-blocking glasses and dawn simulators

• (19:00) Recommended brands of blue light-blocking glasses

• (26:10) Lifestyle tips for improving sleep

• (37:00) Medications vs. natural sleep aids

• (42:55) Weightless By Marconi Union

• (50:00) Dr. Hart’s sleep/night routine

• (55:00) The impact of melatonin

• (57:55) How to maximize adenosine

• (59:45) The Cognitive Benefits of Matcha

• (1:02:40) Hot baths and sleep quality

• (1:11:00) Music to energize your morning

• (1:11:30) “If you dream about things that are emotionally, symbolically resonant with the stress you're going through in your day-to-day life, you will recover from that stress faster. So sleep.”

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Dr. Mike Hart is a Cannabis Physician and Lifestyle Strategist. In April 2014, Dr. Hart became the first physician in London, Ontario to open a cannabis clinic. While Dr. Hart continues to treat patients at his clinic, his primary focus has shifted to correcting the medical cannabis educational gap that exists in the medical community.

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Social Links:

• Instagram: @drmikehart

• Twitter: @drmikehart

• Facebook: @drmikehart