About the webinar

Date and Time

15th April 2023 9:00am AEST

Overview

This webinar will present how the one third of our lives we spend sleeping performs many critically important brain, immune system, and epigenetic functions.  It will begin by describing the complexity of sleep and its many stages and functions.  We will also discuss the role of dreaming and its role in our mental health.  Finally, we will discuss how to achieve good quality sleep and its importance in minimizing dementia and depression.

About the presenter

Author of 15 books including: Brain2Brain, The Brain Bible, Rewire Your Brain, and Brain-Based Therapy with Adults.  His new book is entitled Mind-Brain-Gene: Toward the Integration of Psychotherapy.:   He recently retired from Kaiser Permanente where he served as the Northern California Regional Director of Training where he developed one of the largest mental health training programs in the United States. In this capacity he oversaw more than 150 interns and postdoctoral psychology residents in 24 medical centers. Dr. Arden’s study of neuropsychology has inspired him to integrate neuroscience and psychotherapy, synthesizing the biological and psychological.  He has presented in all US States and 30 countries.

Learning Outcomes

Objectives and topics covered:

·  The role of sleep for a healthy brain.

·  The functioning roles of Adenosine and Melatonin

·  How the immune system plays a role in slow wave sleep and its role in mental health.

·  How supplements impair slow wave sleep functions.

o Removal of Neurotoxins: new data indicate that a major function of sleep is to remove harmful waste products, e.g., amyloid, a factor associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

o Cortisol:  poor quality sleep or insufficient sleep disrupts stress hormones including cortisol and undermines the prefrontal cortex and its role in decision-making and emotional regulation.  

o REM Sleep and Dreaming

o The role of dreaming and mental health

o Good quality sleep consolidates new memories and may help erase and remove unessential memories; how dreams may contribute to memory-consolidation.

o Guidelines for Better Sleep: 

o regulation of temperature, 

o sleep scheduling, 

o light exposure, 

o meal times and nutrients, 

o thoughts that keep us awake; 

o applying cognitive approaches to enhance sleep.