We can't live without it.

Most of us don't get enough of it.

And when we don't, we get cranky, less productive, and more prone to health problems.

I'm talking about sleep, of course.

Hello and welcome to Speaking of Psychology, a bi-weekly podcast from the American Psychological

Association that explores the connections between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm your host, Caitlin Luna.

Do you remember the last time you woke up during the work week without an alarm clock, when

you didn't need caffeine to get going?

If you can't, you're certainly not alone.

Most of us fall short of the

recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly, and an estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans

of all ages in socioeconomic backgrounds suffer from sleep-related problems, according to the American

Sleep Apnea Association. Our guest for this episode will give practical

tips for getting a good night sleep and explain how common mental health disorders can

interfere with our much-needed shut eye. Dr. Robin Haidt is a clinical psychologist in private

practice in Virginia who specializes in treating anxiety, depression, and sleep issues. Welcome, Dr. Haidt. Thank you for having me.

We're very happy to have you on the show today. Can you explain some of the most common sleep

issues you see with clients in your practice? By far, the most common complaint that I hear is that

people have trouble falling asleep. That's called sleep initiation. And most of the time they're

saying that they have racing thoughts or just not being able to shut off their brain. So how do you

address that? I mean, how do you shut off your brain when it's just going a million miles an hour? Do you

...