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Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life.

Meet Diane Macedo

Diane Macedo is an Emmy Award-Winning journalist who works as an anchor and correspondent for ABC News. She often appears on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and World News Now. 

She’s also the author of “Sleep Fix,” a book that describes how she overcame insomnia. By reading countless studies and interviewing many experts, Diane discovered strategies that helped her get better quality sleep.

Why Diane Macedo Is Mentally Strong

Diane isn’t an expert on sleep. But she has become an expert on knowing what helps her sleep better.

Now, she’s sharing those strategies to help other people learn how to fix their sleep problems, too. 

Sometimes, it’s our misconceptions about sleep that are at the root of the problem.

She’s not only willing to share her struggles with others, but she’s also sharing solutions. She makes it clear that anyone can have trouble sleeping. It’s not a sign of weakness and it doesn’t necessarily indicate an underlying mental health issue.

She shares what she learned about sleep in hopes of helping other people fix their sleep problems, too. 

What You’ll Hear on the Show

  • How Diane went from sleeping three hours a night to getting six and half hours of sleep
  • The biggest misconceptions people have about sleep and how believing those misconceptions keep people awake
  • How your bed might become associated with staying awake and worrying
  • The journaling strategy that helped Diane learn to shut off her brain when she went to bed
  • Realistic screen time strategies that can help you unwind for bed
  • The one little trick that reduced Diane’s screen time by 42% in one week
  • Why drinking alcohol before bed doesn’t really help you sleep better
  • How to know if you’re getting enough sleep
  • What you should know about your body’s natural circadian rhythms and what you can do if you work overnight hours
  • How exercise can help you sleep better

What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength

Sleep and mental health is a two-way street. Getting better quality sleep can improve your mental health. And improving your mental health might improve your sleep.

There are always different strategies you can try to address your sleep if you’re tired during the day. And you won’t know what is going to work for you until you try. 

Getting quality sleep can help you feel mentally stronger. And when you’re well-rested, it’s easier to keep doing things that help you build even more mental strength. 

Quotes From Diane

  • “The more time we spend awake and worrying in bed, the more our brain starts to form an association.““If your bedtime routine always ends with you awake and frustrated in bed, then those things then become a cue to be awake and frustrated.”

More About the Podcast

The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Diane Macedo

People are walking around severely sleep-deprived, but they think that they are doing just fine because, in their minds, they’re getting the recommended eight hours of sleep.

Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.

If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes

Download the Transcript

Links and Resources

  • Check out The Sleep Fix

  • Follow Diane on Instagram: @DianeMacedo

  • How to Sleep Better Tonight With Sleep Expert Dr. Chris Winter

  • Friday Fix: How to Break Free From Unhealthy Patterns

  • How to ‘Get Through This Night’ With YouTube Sensation Daniel Howell