Live Recordings (Sleep Medicine Trends 2026)-12 How to Improve Your Sleep Practice

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker, a Johns Hopkins sleep neurologist and certified strengths/life coach, describes arriving at Hopkins burned out and considering leaving medicine. Recovery began through coaching, sharing her story, and adopting a strengths-based, positive psychology approach. She urges clinicians to “practice what you preach,” especially regarding sleep: assess personal sleep habits, prioritize consistency (e.g., 11 p.m.–7 a.m.), and support staff who may also struggle.<br /><br />She emphasizes that environment affects sleep; telehealth reveals patients’ bedrooms and routines. Drawing from feng shui and neuroplasticity, she teaches patients to add intention to sleep hygiene—candles, restorative sleep meditations/music, and evening reflection on “glimmers” or three good things—to retrain negative self-talk (“I never sleep”).<br /><br />A major theme is using strengths inventories (CliftonStrengths; free VIA Character Strengths) to improve wellbeing, teamwork, and engagement, and to reduce impostor feelings. Strengths can be “dialed up” into weaknesses (e.g., impatience, over-responsibility), so naming them helps set boundaries and depersonalize conflict. She recommends leadership programs/coaching, asking “tell me more” when others seem difficult, and cultivating supportive habits (e.g., changing out of scrubs). She closes by inviting reflective writing to share wellbeing practices.

Keywords

sleep hygiene

clinician burnout recovery

strengths-based coaching

positive psychology

CliftonStrengths

VIA Character Strengths

impostor syndrome in medicine

telehealth sleep environment