← Beyond The Script
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- [00:07]
A
Ruby, I have so much trouble falling asleep. Are there things I can do before I go to bed to help with this? Could this new medication I'm on be affecting my sleep? What can I do about that? There's so many different sleep aids out there. What's the difference between them? My snoring is getting out of control.
- [00:26]
B
Should I be concerned?
- [00:32]
A
We all have questions about sleep, especially when we're exhausted, but not sure why good sleep can feel elusive, what actually improves it, what's just hype and when is it time to ask for help? That's why iHeartRadio has teamed up with CBS for Beyond the Script, a place to bring real world health questions and get clear practical guidance from pharmacists to who have these conversations every day in communities across the country. I'm Dr. Jake Goodman, a board certified psychiatrist and health educator. And in today's episode of beyond the Script, I'm joined by a CVS pharmacist to unpack sleep from common disruptors and simple habit shifts to over the counter options and when to seek extra support so you can rest easier and wake up feeling your best. When people think about sleep, they often focus on just getting more of it. But quality sleep is about so much more than simply logging eight hours. It's about the routines, habits, environment and even medications that shape how well you actually rest and recharge. There's no shortage of advice out there, from trending sleep hacks to endless supplement recommendations. And it can be hard to know what truly works. That's where pharmacists can be an incredible resource. As some of the most accessible healthcare professionals, they can help you sort through over the counter options, identify medications that might be interfering with sleep, and suggest practical, realistic changes to improve your nightly routine. The goal? To take the mystery out of better sleep and help you build habits that make truly restorative rest feel achievable. And to help me talk about all of this is Sapita Manafi, CVS District Leader from Charlotte, North Carolina. Sapita, welcome to beyond the Script.
- [02:44]
C
Thank you for having me here today.
- [02:45]
A
Of course. I'm excited to chat. So I know that you were raised in both the Middle east and Europe and that you speak three languages. That is incredible. So how does your multicultural background inform how you approach care?
- [03:01]
C
I think it has really helped me to be a lot more empathetic and understanding right. Being in three different cultures and countries, so being more respectful of people's thinking and open to listening their concerns and hearing them and understanding that also there is some barriers Right. Because when it comes to medicinal treatments, like people have some, you know, mindsets around the cultural traditional religion that can get in the way of helping them. So that has been really beneficial in opening my mind and accepting things.
- [03:36]
A
Yeah. It seems like each culture has a different viewpoint when it comes to medication. Pharmacists, physicians. Out of curiosity, what are the three languages that you speak?
- [03:45]
C
Sure. I speak Farsi. That's the language spoken in Iran. That's where I'm from. And German, because I lived in Austria for five years, went to high school there, and of course English, went to college here and been here now since 1988.
- [04:01]
A
Wow. So cool. And how long have you been a pharmacist for?
- [04:05]
C
I've been a pharmacist since 1994. So it's been over 30 years.
- [04:11]
A
Wow. Three decades. Congratulations. Okay, I'm sure as a pharmacist you get asked about sleep all the time, and we're obviously going to dig into all of this during the episode, but what are some of the most common questions about sleep that you get asked?
- [04:25]
C
It's how much is enough? Like how many hours do I need to sleep? What can I take? Is it addicting? I think that's another concern. What are the over the counter medications versus the prescription medications? What are the side effects? Right. Anything herbal or vitamins that I can take. What is safe, for what age and at what point do you seek treatment?
- [04:48]
A
And we're going to chat about all of that because I know that it can be overwhelming for people to go online, go on social media, and they're just bombarded with herbals, supplements, medications, sleep hygiene, things you should do, things you shouldn't do. So I'm excited to break all of that down with you. So first, I would love to hear a little bit about the community that you serve. So, Charlotte, North Carolina, what do you love about living and working there?
- [05:15]
C
I love it because it is such a fast growing city. Right. And it's such a diverse city. We have people from all over the US but also from diverse countries. And it's really near the beach and near the mountains, so I get the best of both worlds. So it's a wonderful city to live in.
- [05:33]
A
That's so cool. I visited North Carolina a couple of times and you're right, it's like the best of both worlds. Now, I've. I've heard that you are a quote unquote gym rat and that you are very passionate about exercise. So I'd love to hear a little bit about that. What does Exercise bring to your life.
- [05:50]
C
Exercise brings sense of, I guess, mental well being more first and foremost, right? It's uninterrupted, no phone calls, nothing. It's just my me time and obviously for my health. And as I'm getting older I feel like this is really essential part of my well being. And talking about sleep, I think it really helps me around managing my sleep.
- [06:12]
A
I totally relate. It's me time. And it's also a very effective way to improve sleep and it's a way to get stress out as well. Okay, Sapide, let's talk about sleep.
- [06:29]
B
Sleep.
- [06:30]
A
Sleep feels simple, but it's one of the biggest issues that most of us face at some point in our lives. What does good quality sleep actually look like? And does that definition change from person to person?
- [06:43]
C
Absolutely. I think any adult needs to be getting at least seven hours of sleep, right? The duration of sleep and the deep sleep is extremely important. Of course we know when the newborns sleep pretty much all day, right? They can least pretty much 17 hours a day. But good sleep is really important for us to stay healthy. And like I mentioned earlier, when mental emotional well being is extremely important and it really helps us around like immune system, right? Maintaining a healthy weight and also stress reduction, it helps us around stress reduction, metabolism and also as far as the alertness, right. If you're not getting enough sleep or good sleep, it can impact your day, the next day. And maintaining a really good sleeping schedule is also dependent on where you sleep, right? The environment, the temperature of the room, Is it dark, is it too light? And trying to avoid and staying away from electronics. We are so addicted to looking at our phone before we go to bed. And before you know it, you're on your phone for an hour, scrolling through so not really looking at your phone before sleep or stay away from electronics, not eating a heavy meal, all that feeds into getting a good night's sleep. And again, if you don't get a good night's sleep, you're not gonna function the next day. So extremely.
- [08:03]
A
I definitely know what it's like and I'm sure everyone listening does as well. To try to function the day after a bad night's sleep. It is so difficult to stay alert, to stay focused, to have high energy. And I say this all the time to my patients. Imagine that I could give you a medication and this medication could help your energy levels, reduce your risk of depression, reduce your risk long term of cognitive impairment like dementia. Also helps your heart, helps your metabolic risk factors and will help you stay alert and Focused the next day, would you take that medication? And everyone says, yes, of course. And I said that medication is free and it is consistent quality sleep. Now easier for me to say than for me to actually do, for people to do, because there are so many things that distract us from getting good quality sleep. I'd love to touch on sleep cycles because so many of us think, okay, we, we go to sleep, then we wake up. There is either awakeness or sleep. There's no sort of levels to this. But what I learned in medical school is that there are actual cycles that you go through when you sleep.
- [09:14]
C
Yeah. There is about four stages of the sleep cycle. You have three NREM sleep and then one REM sleep. And they really repeat like every 90 minutes. An average adult experiences four to six sleep cycles. And in order for us to really have a deep sleep, we know to go through all of them. And when you don't get a deep sleep, that's where you're going to struggle the next day. Right. So you know, to again answer your questions, like we have these four cycles and they repeat four to six times and about every 90 minutes.
- [09:50]
A
And I'm glad you mentioned REM and sort of non REM, that's the NREM. So remember rapid eye movement. If you actually look at someone who is in REM sleep, this is kind of creepy. So, you know, maybe don't do this to your partner in case they wake up and they're point blank right on top of your head. But your eyes will fluctuate, they'll rapidly move back and forth. And that's when dreaming occurs. Yes, and dreams are so important. It's sort of when we get to act out the things that happen throughout the day and make sense of them. But the non rem, that's the dream deep restorative sleep that is so important. And so if you're only getting one to two cycles or three cycles of sleep, it might not be enough cumulative sleep to get not only the dreams but also the rest. The deep sleep that allows you to reset and start the next day fresh.
- [10:41]
C
Absolutely. You know, when we think about how much that feeds into our mental health, when you are stressed, you can't sleep, but it actually adds to your stress. I know, I've been there a lot. Like you have a different project going on, you have the kids on your mind. Like there's so many things and then also being able to relax. Right. Give muscle relaxation, like that feeds into that. If you do get a good sleep and then hormone release at night when you Get a deep sleep. That's when your cells can repair, your muscle can rejuvenate. So sleep is a pretty big deal.
- [11:15]
A
It is. And poor sleep causes real impacts on our lives, in our day to day life. So if we're working, maybe we're not at maximum capacity, maybe it shows up with your kids, maybe you're not as present with your kids. What else should we be aware of if we don't get consistent quality sleep?
- [11:35]
C
I guess if you're asking me about what are some of the underlying issues that could cause that so many people think that, you know what, I'm going to have a glass of wine or two and it helps me sleep. But actually drinking alcohol before bedtime can disrupt your sleep. So that's really important. Staying away from caffeine late in the afternoon. Right, because that can keep you up. Heavy meals or spicy meals, because that can make you uncomfortable, you can sleep. So these are the things that are actually in your control. And we talked about exercise earlier. Exercising actually earlier in the day helps you manage your sleep. And we talked about staying away from electronics. But there could be also some underlying issues that's I think, where a pharmacist can really come handy, where people are seeking over the counter medications or like medications as a whole for us as pharmacists to be actively listening and see if this is a chronic issue. Because it could be that the person has sleep apnea and the unnecessary, maybe like excessive snoring that can get in the way of you not sleeping, which we can dig into that a little bit more too as far as the signs and the symptoms and what's serious versus not. But also restless leg syndrome, right. That's a real thing. And that can also prevent you from getting good sleep. So again, there's controllables and there's non controllables. As healthcare provider, I'm sure you know, we really have to listen, not automatically jump the gun into like put a band aid on it, give them a medication, but really understand to solve for the root cause.
- [13:14]
A
I absolutely agree. And in my clinic I see a lot of people have sleep apnea and that disrupts their sleep. But I also see sometimes that they're taking medications that can be disrupting their sleep as well. So I'd love to hear from you as a pharmacist, what are the most common causes of sleep disruption that you see?
- [13:31]
C
I think sometimes people don't look at how the medications that they can take can impact it. For example, especially right now, we are in the allergy season Right. So a lot of people may be taking the allergy medicine with the decongestant. Taking a decongestant can keep you up at night. Right. So really, that's another piece where the pharmacist can really emphasize, like, which decongestant do you take and what time should you take them? And sometimes people want to sleep, but there aren't medications that interfere with their sleep pattern. Diuretic is a perfect example. My poor dad, you know, he was on a diuretic for his blood pressure medication, and he's a perfect example. He would get up multiple times throughout the night because he was taking that diuretic. Now, there are some newer diuretics that necessarily don't cause that as much, but those are the questions that I think, as a pharmacist, we need to be asking.
- [14:27]
A
Yeah, I'm glad you brought up all these different medications, because I'd love to dissect some of that. There are medications that can help with sleep, and there are medications that can harm sleep. And I think that's an important distinction that we should make here. There are medications like stimulants. They can help you with focus, but if you take them right before bed, you're probably in for not a great night of sleep. So it's so important to know what medications you're taking, when you're taking them, and then to have a conversation with your pharmacist and with your physician about which medications can help and which medications might be harming your sleep.
- [15:03]
C
Exactly.
- [15:04]
A
I'd love to dive into sleep hygiene because I feel like this is one of the most important takeaways for people listening so that they can tonight get better sleep. Because there are so many behavioral and lifestyle changes that we can do immediately that can lead to better sleep. And we've touched on a few of them. So I'll say a few that we've touched on, and then maybe you can elaborate on them or even add a few more.
- [15:29]
C
Of course.
- [15:30]
A
So tech. Okay. Phones right before bed. I know it's so hard. I know it's so hard. These things are such a part of our lives, but not a good idea. Not even just from the light, but also just from the stimulation, the mental stimulation, the notifications, the texts, the emails. That's not going to help us sleep. You mentioned dark, cool environment. That's so important, too. I tell my patients, think about it like a cave. Like a dark, cold cave. Create your own sleep cave. Personally, for me, that's like 70 degrees or colder, and that's with eye mask, because I don't have blackout shades, but I have an eye mask that can help me sleep, and that's earplugs. Because I have a baby, I have a dog, I've got wilderness outside. And it's important to not be woken up by every sound. So I'll stop there and see what you have to add.
- [16:25]
C
It's funny you say that about the room darkening. When I moved into my house and all the bedrooms, I special ordered the room darkening shades, and that's the best investment I made. And it's funny you say that about the electronics. There is so much going on right now in the world, and it's so easy to get hooked on the news, what's happening. But of course, you know all these other things that we have on Instagram. So as a matter of fact, I had to start that and I shared that with my kids. And I said, guys, like, starting this week, my personal phone will be charged downstairs. So I actually had to really discipline myself on that. And we already touched on exercising, right? And the meals and the alcohol and making the bedroom a place where you sleep, right? And then also taking deep breath, then taking deep breath and counting your breath actually helps in order for you to relax your body if you are stressed, right? If you have a lot going on, that actually helps. So these, I think, really feed into, like, the hygiene, sleep hygiene, as you called it.
- [17:36]
A
And sleep hygiene is so important because it can evolve over time. Sometimes you might be in a situation which all of a sudden, now you have kids or you have grandkids, or you have a dog. Like me, I got a dog, you know, eight days ago, my sleep hygiene took a little bit of a hit. But I get back, I figure out what works, I'm able to adapt. And in general, you just want to be focused on the big, most important things when it comes to sleep hygiene. Going to bed around the same time, avoiding the tech, avoiding the alcohol, avoiding the things that are going to make your sleep worse, and just shooting for overall seven hours or more. The more and more you learn about yourself and the way that you respond to sleep, you will sort of figure out what is my optimal level. And for me, that is like seven and a half or eight. What is it for you?
- [18:29]
C
It's about eight. But do I get eight hours? No, but I'm lucky if I get six. I think I'm good. So it's. I can still function, you know, I like to go to the gym early, but I try to be in bed by 9:30. So I can at least fall asleep by 10 and get up by 5. So yeah, I try to, I try to do that. So again, keeping the routine and I think that's important, the consistency. And I really had to get myself disciplined around consistency where as a matter of fact, I put an alarm on my phone that it actually rings and it says bedtime. So I know, okay, whatever I'm doing, start finishing it up and start going upstairs and wash my face, get my routine, get ready for bed. So that has helped as well to keep me disciplined.
- [19:15]
A
I Wonder what my 8 year old self would say if I had a conversation with him and said, yeah, when you turn 30, you're actually going to have a bedtime again and there's going to be an alarm on your phone because I'm in the same exact boat. But this is so important. Sleep is one of the most important things that we can do for ourselves. So, yeah, I'd love to jump over and talk about over the counter sleep aids because they're everywhere and it's overwhelming. I want to go through a few of them and just get your advice. Let's talk about antihistamine sleep aids, things like diphenhydramine. What should people know about that?
- [19:49]
C
Well, diphenhydramine or Benadryl as people know it. Right. That is probably commonly used. Yes, for allergies, but also for sleeping. Um, however, like the side effects, the next day you may be a little groggy. Right. It's gonna dry you up. Right. That's what it's supposed to do. And it can also lead to constipation. So I think these are the biggest side effects. But antihistamines are one of our top ones that people use. But I can also elaborate on some of the other ones that are out there too.
- [20:18]
A
Yeah, let's touch on melatonin, because that's one where everyone on the planet has heard of melatonin. Maybe they tried it. Can you walk us through a little bit about timing of melatonin and what melatonin does?
- [20:29]
C
Absolutely. I mean, melatonin, it is a natural hormone that is produced by our own body. Right. So it's something that already is in our body and it controls the body sleep wake cycle. So in our body, that hormone is released when it's dark and it lowers when it's lighter. So that's how it works. Now, of course, this is an over the counter medication. So none of the over the counter medications are FDA approved. However, there have been obviously validations that it actually does work. If you are suffering from jet lag. So I do think that does actually work.
- [21:05]
A
I'm glad that you mentioned that because there is a lot of misinformation about melatonin and oftentimes I see people taking super high doses of melatonin. So I often advise people, look, you, you probably don't need the 10-20mg of melatonin at a certain point.
- [21:18]
C
Exactly.
- [21:18]
A
You're just taking too much if you're changing time zones and things like that. What about magnesium and other herbal products?
- [21:26]
C
Magnesium is also one of the over the counter medications that we recommend for insomnia. Magnesium is also an ingredient. Right. That we need for our sleep balance. Now, some people have magnesium deficiency, so they could probably benefit from that. Like people that have certain GI gastrointestinal disorders or issues, they are gonna be deficient on magnesium and also people with type 2 diabetes, so they may benefit from it. And mind you, there's type of magnesium, but again, it may or may not work. Speak to your healthcare provider to see if that's the right one for you.
- [22:05]
A
Yeah, it could be so confusing. Magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium threonate. Don't try to solve this yourself. Have a conversation with the pharmacist, have a conversation with the physician. Have them help sort of guide you to make sure that you're taking the right magnesium. If that's a decision that you and your provider make. All right, Sopide, let's talk about snoring. We know that nearly half of the US population have snored and a quarter snore regularly. But what actually causes snoring?
- [22:34]
C
Well, I have to tell you, I'm one of the 50%, so. And it's funny story, actually, my daughter, when we go traveling now, she is like, we are not going to stay in the same room because I cannot sleep with you. So I am one of them. So there's a variety of reasons why we would snore, but snoring, it is really caused by turbulent airflow during sleep. Right? So when we have a blockage in the throat, in that airflow, that's what's causing the sound. So what could cause that? First of all, as we get older, we lose the muscle tone and losing that muscle tone narrows the airways and that can cause some of that blockage. Nasal congestion. This is the perfect time again with the pollen. So you are going to have nasal congestion. We talked about alcohol for sleeping, but also alcohol use can cause snoring as well. And people sometimes that have sleep apnea. That is a reason for snoring. Again, that has to be treated differently. And some people have some oral anatomical factors involved. Right. If you have a low soft palate, that can also cause that as well. Deviated septum. Right. All of those things can cause snoring. How you sleep, your sleep position. I know, like, when I was traveling with my daughter, like, she would poke me, like, sleep on your side or sleep straight. Like, whenever I moved my position, it seemed like I stopped snoring. So that's definitely part of it. And of course, excess weight. So weight management is important as well to prevent the snoring.
- [24:18]
A
I just had a flashback from when I was a little kid and we'd go on vacation with my dad, and I would poke my dad and say, can you sleep on your side tonight, please? Because when he slept on his back, it was like there was an elephant in the room, and I was just not getting quality sleep. So that is so funny. Okay, so people that are listening to this may say, okay, but what can I actually do? So you mentioned I can maybe lose weight if I happen to be overweight. But what are some other ways in which people can reduce or manage snoring?
- [24:48]
C
There's over the counter nasal strips that you can put on your nose, and it actually, like, widens your nasal passages so the air can go through better. I actually have tried that, so I can speak for that. It does work. And some people use mouth guards. Right. So that helps as well. And of course, if there is sleep apnea, then you definitely want to seek treatment and go to a specialist. So you can kind of manage that a little bit differently.
- [25:18]
A
And from the conversations that I have with my patients, snoring at times can be benign, as in just a way that your anatomy is and just part of the way that you breathe at night. But also it can be a yellow flag or even a red flag that something else is going on. So what can snoring be a symptom of?
- [25:39]
C
If you have, like, sleep apnea, that can be dangerous because it can actually lead to a stroke, hypoxia, heart attack. Right. And so that increases all of those chances and, of course, high blood pressure as well. So we do have to take chronic snoring, I would say, seriously, because you could have some underlying issues that are quite important.
- [26:05]
A
Yes. And I think it's important for us to explain what sleep apnea is. And it is actually where you stop breathing in the middle of the night or sometime when you're sleeping. And that could be super scary and you might not even know that it's happening. But if you have a partner and you've ever noticed them all of a sudden stop breathing for a period of seconds or occasionally longer, that's a red flag. That's potentially sleep apnea. And you can get a sleep study where a sleep doctor will actually have you come into a place and, and you will sleep overnight and they will get some data on you and they can see whether you stop breathing in the middle of the night. My question for you is what would you recommend if someone is diagnosed with sleep apnea?
- [26:49]
C
If that's a concern, I would definitely recommend seeing a specialist. Right. Because there are CPAP machines and they work wonders in managing that. So that's what I definitely would recommend to see a specialist and getting that because it actually, it does help and I know I have several friends who have used it and it's been extremely beneficial.
- [27:10]
A
Yeah, yeah. I've really seen it change people's lives and all of a sudden they're getting better sleep and they have more energy throughout the day. Okay, so let's say that someone walks into the pharmacy tomorrow and they are asking for help with sleep. What would that conversation look like?
- [27:25]
C
So the first thing I ask usually is what have you tried already? What are some of the medications you are on? Try to eliminate some of the basic things that I think that could contribute to that. Before I jump the gun into recommending something. Have you had any life changing events recently? Right. Because obviously that answers for itself around the stress. And I do ask, do you drink any caffeine or how much caffeine do you drink? And some people don't know. And you'll be surprised on how many people come and say, no, I don't, I just have like some energy drinks. Well, what are you energy drinks? Well, I drink couple of Celsius a day. Well, do you know how many caffeine, how much caffeine you have in a Celsius? So your role is really so important as a pharmacist from beginning to the end, all the way around to be involved in this patient's regimen and therapy on insomnia.
- [28:20]
A
Right. And there are benefits and risks to every sort of supplement medication that can be recommended or prescribed. And that's something that I think is really important to note. Something like Benadryl is not totally benign. There can absolutely be side effects from Benadryl. You mentioned grogginess. But at the same time I want to make sure that people know there's also problems with long term sleep deprivation, if you're consistently sleeping poorly, four hours of sleep, five hours of sleep for months. I think it's a conversation to have with your pharmacist and your doctor about the benefits of medication. Because if medication can help you sleep better more consistently, overall, I think the benefits of the medication can far outweigh the risks of getting four hours of sleep by not taking medication.
- [29:03]
C
Oh, absolutely.
- [29:03]
A
And it doesn't have to be a long term thing.
- [29:05]
C
Absolutely.
- [29:06]
A
It could just be sort of getting your sleep rhythm back in check. Okay, so we're gonna take a quick break, but don't go anywhere because up next, we're gonna have a look at some of the most common beliefs and social media trends that we hear about sleep and find out, are they myth or medicine? We'll be right back.
- [29:39]
B
Good questions, real answers from cvs. CVS pharmacists hear questions that go beyond prescriptions, the kind that just come up in daily life. Like this one. How do I actually know the ingredients in my vitamins are accurate? It's a fair question. Because when you're taking something every day, you want to trust what's on the label. That's why our pharmacists recommend products that are tested, verified, and held to real standards. So what's listed is exactly what you're getting and nothing you don't need. At cvs, that trust is built in. CVS was the first national retailer to require third party testing and verification for all of its vitamins and supplements, confirming labeled ingredients are accurate and free from certain additives and contaminants. It's one more way CVS helps take the guesswork out of everyday health decisions. CVS is here to help answer the questions that matter today and every day. So talk to your CVS pharmacist or learn more@cvs.com.
- [30:43]
A
Welcome back. Welcome back to beyond the script. I'm Dr. Jake Goodman and I'm here with CVS pharmacist Sapita Minafi from Charlotte, North Carolina. Okay, Supita, it's time for a feature we do on every episode where we look at some of the health claims that we may see online that perhaps we're not sure whether to believe. And we ask ourselves, are they myth or medicine? Today, we're discussing sleep. Are you ready?
- [31:18]
C
I am ready. Is there a prize with this, too? Am I gonna win something?
- [31:24]
A
The prize is a quality night's sleep. Tonight, eight hours uninterrupted.
- [31:29]
C
I'll take it. I'll take it. Let's go for it.
- [31:32]
A
All right, let's do this. If I can function during the day, I'm getting enough sleep. Myth or medicine?
- [31:40]
C
That is a myth. Because you could function, but you could actually push it through. I can speak for that because I know there's times that I haven't gotten enough sleep and I'm functioning perfectly fine, but I'm gonna crash and burn later.
- [31:54]
A
I think there's a big difference between functioning and thriving. So are you just getting through or are you actually thriving? And if you're not thriving, take a look at your sleep.
- [32:03]
C
That's right.
- [32:04]
A
Okay, next one. Pharmacists can help recommend adjustments to medication timing to improve sleep quality. Myth or medicine?
- [32:13]
C
That's medicine. All right. Certain medications you cannot take later because now you're gonna be waking up a lot more frequently during the night. So take that early in the morning.
- [32:24]
A
A glass of wine before bed improves sleep. Myth or medicine?
- [32:30]
C
That's a myth. And we talked about alcohol. Alcohol is not going to help you sleep. As a matter of fact, it does the opposite. So, no.
- [32:39]
A
Yes, yes, exactly. And some people say, well, it helps me fall asleep. It might help you fall asleep, but the quality of your sleep will be worse with alcohol.
- [32:47]
C
That's right.
- [32:49]
A
Sleep problems are sometimes caused by medications that people don't suspect. Myth or medicine.
- [32:56]
C
That's medicine. Because how many of people did really think taking a certain blood pressure medication can cause them not to get enough sleep? Right. Or antidepressants. The assumption is they probably make you sleepy. Well, we know that's not the case either.
- [33:12]
A
Right. There are some antidepressants that can be stimulating. There are others that can help you fall asleep a little bit, and then there's a bunch in the middle that sometimes can help and sometimes don't. So it's super important conversation to have with your docs. Okay, let's talk about blue light glasses. Blue light glasses can fix insomnia. Is that a myth or medicine?
- [33:32]
C
That's a myth. Like, it can help you with respect to irritation to the eye and the fatigue on the eye, but it's not necessarily going to help you run insomnia.
- [33:44]
A
Sleep paralysis is the same as a nightmare. Myth or medicine?
- [33:50]
C
That's a myth. Because sleep paralysis works completely different as a nightmare. It's a completely different phenomenon. So it's not the same.
- [34:00]
A
I've had sleep paralysis once or twice in my life, and probably some of the listeners have or know someone that has it's horrifying experience. It's like your whole body's sort of paralyzed.
- [34:09]
C
It's really bad.
- [34:10]
A
And you're sort of having some sort of vision, and it's like, way worse than a nightmare, in my opinion.
- [34:15]
C
And honestly, why is it that sleep paralysis always happens? Or maybe that's a known thing when you're thinking somebody's in your room, it always happens that way, and you're paralyzed. And I'm like, why can I not be paralyzed in another situation when somebody's in my room, I'm paralyzed. It's pretty scary, actually.
- [34:34]
A
Yeah. That's a fascinating phenomenon. We could do a whole podcast on that. Because it's actually cultural. People in certain cultures will have a certain sort of vision of a person by their bed based on the culture. So it's really unique and fascinating area of sleep medicine. Okay. Pharmacists can often tell when someone's sleep issue needs a medical referral. Myth or medicine?
- [34:56]
C
That's medicine. And I touched on that earlier because based on the questions you're asking and eliminating some of the underlying issue that is pretty much obvious, then you can tell, especially when you ask the right questions around, are you gasping for air? Do you have headache? That you know that this person probably needs to seek attention and treatment around sleep apnea.
- [35:21]
A
Magnesium works for everyone with sleep issues. Myth or medicine?
- [35:26]
C
That's a myth because it all depends. Or do they have deficiency on magnesium or not? And honestly, even with a deficiency, you taking that magnesium doesn't mean you're necessarily gonna be able to get adequate sleep sleep.
- [35:41]
A
Having my dog sleep on the bed with me won't affect my sleep. Myth or medicine?
- [35:47]
C
That's a myth because you could have a dog on your bed and people think of it as therapeutic. It helps me. But the movements of the dog or the dog hearing something and barking, that's disruption to your sleep. So, yes, having a dog as sweet and cute as they are does not necessarily gonna help you sleep better.
- [36:10]
A
You can catch up on sleep fully over the weekend. Myth or medicine?
- [36:16]
C
That's myth because you need your sleep every day for the full recovery of your body to take place. So, yeah, you cannot catch up on it. You really need to get it every single day.
- [36:29]
A
Yeah, that whole concept of, like, I'll just catch up on sleep, you know, after pharmacy school, med school, after this next job is a myth. You can't just catch up on it doesn't work like that. You gotta get the consistent quality sleep. Pharmacists can help identify signs of sleep apnea. Myth or medicine.
- [36:47]
C
That's medicine. And like I mentioned earlier, with the right questions and the signs and the symptoms of the patient experiencing, you can pretty much tell the this individual needs to see a doctor and get treatment for sleep apnea.
- [37:03]
A
Natural sleep supplements don't interact with prescriptions. Myth or medicine.
- [37:09]
C
That's a myth. You actually have to be cautious in taking over the counter medications because they can interact. Some patients take valerian. Valerian actually interacts with some medications that a prescription. And also if you're taking Benadryl over the counter and you're on other antihistamine or other medications that can impair motor movement, that actually is a major interaction. So yes, they do interfere and you have to check with your pharmacist on what you're taking.
- [37:40]
A
Frequent nighttime urination can disrupt sleep and signal underlying issues. Myth or medicine.
- [37:47]
C
That's medicine. When they urinate frequently throughout the night, they could be on a diuretic. But at the same token, if a patient says they wake up throughout the night and go to the bathroom, you may be dealing with some prostate issues as well.
- [38:03]
A
Taking a decongestant at night could be why you can't sleep. Myth or medicine.
- [38:09]
C
That is medicine because decongestants are considered stimulants and they can certainly keep you up at night. So yeah, don't take decongestants close to bedtime.
- [38:22]
A
Alright, well that is it for this round of Mitt or Medicine. Thank you so much for joining me today, Sapide. I learned so much from you and we had an awesome conversation about all the things that you can do tonight to start improving sleep. And we broke down some of the ways in which over the counters medication and just conversations with your pharmacist and doctor can really improve your sleep. So thank you so much for joining us.
- [38:59]
C
Thank you so much for having me. It was amazing and I definitely want to have an invite whenever you're ready. Getting ready to have a podcast about the sleep paralysis. I'm super interested in that one.
- [39:12]
A
Yes, I'd love to.
- [39:13]
B
Thank you.
- [39:19]
A
Next time on beyond the Script, we're tackling spring allergies, why symptoms flare up at this time of the year, what's really triggering them, and how to get ahead of sneezing, congestion and itchy eyes. We'll break down practical prevention tips, common treatment mistakes, and the ways pharmacists can help you breathe easier all season long long. For more information about everything we talked about on today's episode, Please head to cvs.com pharmacy and for ongoing health and wellness advice, you can trust anytime, don't forget to follow CVS on social media at CVSPharmacy beyond the Script is produced in partnership with CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio. Our show is hosted by me, Dr. Jake Goodman. Our producers are Sam Walker, Julie Belewski, Carter Wogan and Marina Paiz, with original music by Max Hirschenau. Ruby's managing EP is Matt Romano and our EP of post production is James Foster. Of course, a big thank you to our friends at CVS and their incredible pharmacists. Until next time, don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.
- [40:45]
B
If this episode sparked questions or gave you something new to think about, that's exactly what it was meant to do. Because learning about your health doesn't end when the episode does. New questions often come up later in everyday moments when you're making health decisions or thinking about what's right for you or someone you love. And when that happens, CVS is here to help. Our pharmacists are available to answer questions in person as well as trusted resources. You can explore anytime at the wellness zone@cvs.com learn so talk to your CVS pharmacist today because good questions deserve real answers. This is an iHeart podcast.
- [41:22]
C
Guaranteed Human.