Episode 33 -Why You're Always Tired: The Hidden Truth About Sleep, Sleep Apnea & Reclaiming Your Health with Nathalie Walton
By Jessica Garrison
Do you always find yourself saying you’re tired, even when you think you got enough hours of sleep the night before? Our sleep and our health are linked together so strongly, and our next guest, Nathalie Walton, has so much knowledge and grace to share with listeners. Nathalie describes herself as intentional and ascending, two beautiful words that perfectly encapsulates her as a person.
Sleep is always a funny topic to me because we all do it, we need it to survive, and yet, we don’t treat it that way at all. Some people see sleep as optional or an inconvenience that they try to do as little as possible. I remember in college, other students would brag about pulling an all-nighter to study or to get an assignment done. However, it’s scientifically proven how not getting enough sleep can affect you, and Nathalie has both professional as well as personal experiences with this. Even Melissa has experience with sleep apnea, a condition that “causes repeated stops and starts in breathing during sleep.” Since she didn’t match the “average profile” of someone with sleep apnea, the idea was dismissed at first. In comparison, Nathalie discovered her son had sleep apnea at 4 years old (also not in the demographic). Since your body is fighting to get enough oxygen, you can’t fully relax, and it deeply affects your sleep, even if you don’t know it at first. This is such an important lesson to learn in the world of medicine and treatment: advocate for yourself. Even if you don’t match a specific profile, if you have the symptoms and know something is wrong, continue to fight for yourself.
When she was post-partum, Nathalie also suffered from sleep apnea, but people dismissed her exhaustion due to being a new mom. She also had anemia, which was affecting her energy. No matter who you are, what you do, or what you look like, everyone needs healthy sleep. If not, it affects your mind, your body, your thought process, everything. It’s another reminder to look at the whole picture, because the root of the problem could be affecting multiple things.
Nathalie wants to normalize the conversations surrounding this so people don’t feel embarrassed to share their stories. She said that, for example, people are sometimes embarrassed to admit they snore, but Nathalie reminds everyone that it is not a big deal. Doctors need the whole picture as well to be able to figure out what’s going on.
Since Nathalie is a general manager for BetterSleep, a sleep and meditation app that helps you with relaxation and sleep, you can try it out for one free month! See what tools you can utilize and discover what helps best. If you like it, keep it! Continue to work on your sleep journey, because it is just as important as other aspects of your health.
Ways to Engage: Start asking: Download the BetterSleep app and take note of what helps, what doesn’t, and what other options you may want to pursue. Track your sleep, write down questions to ask your doctor, and be sure you are giving your body the rest it deserves.