235: How Sleep Impacts Your Skin (Tips + Strategies) PT 2 w/ Michelle Nilan, MS, CNS

Did you know that strenuous exercise, big meals, and even certain supplements can affect sleep quality? In part 2 of this sleep and skin series, my guest and I will discuss ways to improve your sleep quality, as well as things to avoid. (Spoiler alert: Staring at your phone before bed is doing you no favors!)

THIS IS PART 2 OF A 3-PART INTERVIEW. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PART 1. AND STAY TUNED FOR PART 3!

My guest today is my colleague, Michelle Nilan, CNS. Michelle is a clinical nutritionist, yoga teacher, and ACSM-certified personal trainer. She is the associate clinical nutritionist in my private practice and has been working with me since June 2020!

She has a master's in human nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and a bachelor's in philosophy from Humboldt State University.

Through her work with me, Michelle has developed an extensive understanding of the complex relationship between the skin, gut, and overall health, and values being able to turn this into practical, actionable guidance to help others become well. She is additionally well-versed in metabolic conditions, insulin resistance and diabetes, and nutrition for high-risk pregnancies.

Michelle also has a history of her own skin struggles with severe cystic acne, fungal acne, and tinea versicolor, as well as with managing thyroid, hormone, and autoimmunity issues, and knows all too well what it feels like to have significant life-impacting symptoms completely dismissed and be told by doctors that she’d “just have to live with it.”

She is grateful for the opportunity to help others avoid the years of suffering she had to endure while trying to find and address the root causes on her own. Due to her work in philosophy, as well as her personal history of childhood trauma, she has a deep appreciation for the invisible mental and emotional suffering of skin and health issues that aren't obvious from the outside, and allows this to guide her approach of seeing a whole person rather than merely a collection of symptoms or a problem to fix.

When she’s not working with clients, Michelle enjoys staying updated with the latest nutrition research, lifting weights, reading, going to museums, spending time in nature, drinking coffee while people-watching, and playing with her cat Daoshi.

Join us for part 2 of a 3-part interview all about sleep and the skin. In this series, we'll be discussing circadian rhythm, sleep hygiene, why sleep is important, and so much more! You can find PART 1 HERE!

Today, we'll focus on how to improve sleep hygiene and your sleep routine.

Do you have any tips to help you fall asleep? Let me know in the comments!

In this episode:

How to protect circadian rhythm
How routines can be incredibly beneficial for restful sleep
Simple tips for improving sleep hygiene
What to do about blue-light emitting devices
Liquid melatonin vs. capsules
How many sleep medications is Michelle currently on?

Quotes

“See sunlight in the morning or in the first half of the day. That tells your body physically it's morning, we should be awake now. This is the wake up time. And then it sets up all of your hormones to then follow an appropriate pattern so that you get tired at the right time of evening.” [28:11]

“Have an explicit, relaxing bedtime routine. Allow yourself to wind down at night so that you're not amped up and stressed out going to sleep. Whether that's meditation, reading, breathing exercises, stretching, sitting and staring at the wall, it does not matter.” [36:47]

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