Kick Poor Sleep Hygiene Out of Bed!

We all have sleep issues and you’re not alone. Whether you suffer from acute insomnia, sleep maintenance insomnia, or even depression insomnia, we all have experienced sleeplessness brought on by poor sleep hygiene, emotional factors, or physical barriers that keep us just out of reach of a healthy sleep schedule. But don’t fret, you can learn the tools to help you sleep well every night!

Mental health plays a huge role in our sleep patterns. Our mental wellness can greatly affect our quality of sleep. If we are feeling anxious, depressed, or tired, we may struggle with making those choices that promote healthy sleep hygiene, and we instead get stuck with the outcomes of poor sleep hygiene. Dr. Casey will teach you how to improve your mental health through better sleep for more restful nights. 

Inside, you’ll find:

• Practical and methods for trading in your poor sleep hygiene for good sleep hygiene and optimal sleep health
• Expert advice on the best ways to fall asleep, how to stay asleep, and how to sleep soundly without the white noise machine
• CBTI-based techniques to help you set up a successful night routine to help you sleep like a baby and finally get a good night’s rest

If you’ve enjoyed books like Why We Sleep, The Sleep Solution, or Sleep Through Insomnia, then you’ll love The Insomnia Doc’s Guide to Restful Sleep.

“Dr. Casey provides valuable information and tangible tips on improving sleep. She breaks things down in an easy-to-understand way and does so with humor. She makes learning about sleep into something you’ll look forward to.”

—Janelle Hettick, LMSW, mental health therapist and speaker

“Dr. Kristen Casey continuously explains the process of sleep and how to improve sleep hygiene in tangible, digestible ways that all of us can incorporate into our hectic lives.”

—Dr. Justin Puder (@amoderntherapist), licensed clinical psychologist

"(1) This is a book that you want to have on your bedside table when your awake at 3 a.m. because it for sure is going to help you fall asleep; (2) Dr. Casey has found a way to take a topic that is rooted in science and biology with terminology that only those with an interest would get, but has created a book that breaks everything down in and informative and relatable way (even with a few jokes here and there) that actually makes you want to learn about sleep instead of making you feel like you are ten years old again with your mom yelling from your doorway telling you to go to bed."

—Kristen Gingrich (@notyouraveragethrpst), LCSW, CADC, CCS

"Dr. Casey is my #1 recommendation for qualified sleep help! Her presence on social media has helped so many find the peace they need, and I'm glad that we have gotten to work together. If you're looking for an easy-to-understand, frustration-free guide to getting your sleep back on track, THIS IS IT!"

—Jesse Lyon (@LyonMentalHealth), MS, CCHt, LMHC, QS. Chief Dream Scientist at DreamApp

"Dr. Kristen's knowledge and passion for insomnia is evident in her book as she breaks down the research on sleep and insomnia and presents it in an authentic, digestible manner. She is inclusive in her work, provides helpful suggestions to readers, and will make you laugh as she shares her unfiltered thoughts and experiences about sleep, as both an expert in the field and a human being that has struggled with sleep just like the rest of us."

—Jessica Rabon, PhD, licensed psychologist

"Dr. Kristen Casey is super smart, funny, and so relatable. Her wisdom prevailed as she walks the reader through the many nuanced layers related to sleep. Everyone should read this book, and partners should read it together. Sleep plays an integral role in the quality of our mental, physical, relational, and sexual well-being. Dr. Casey offers practical solutions, with the heart necessary to grant yourself (and your sleeping mates) some extra humanity. This book will put you to sleep—in a good way!"

—Dr. Kate Balestrieri, licensed psychologist, certified sex therapist, and founder of Modern Intimacy

"Kristen's approach to sleep is done in a humorous and humanistic way. I now get why sleep is more important than coffee."

—Shani Tran, LPCC, therapist, influencer, speaker, The Shani Project PLLC

"This is for someone who wants to learn (and laugh) about their sleep habits. Professional and insightful tips, tools, and takeaways from the sleep expert I trust the most!”

—Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD, clinical entrepreneur, and creator of The Truth Doctor

"Dr. Kristen Casey's work speaks about insomnia in a humorous, relatable, and down-to-earth way. Her work makes the science of sleep fun and easy to understand and is a perfect read for the modern day insomnia sufferer looking for practical tips for a more restful sleep."

—Carrie Jackson (@dr.carriejackson), PhD, child psychologist

"This book is such a gift to those struggling with sleep. No longer do folks have to feel in the weeds and overwhelmed by the current insomnia literature. Dr. Kristen Casey is a true professional at transforming this dense information and research to be practical and easy to digest, making restful sleep that much closer to a reality."

—Emily Marriott, licensed mental health therapist (WA state)

"Break out your highlighters and sticky notes—this is an incredible resource for anyone trying to improve their sleep and mental health. As a sleep coach, I know that insomnia can be complex and lonely. I love Dr. Casey's straightforward, honest, and sometimes hilarious writing. She provides clinical information to help you understand, and the actionable guidance you need."

—Teresa DeNike, BS CCSH (New York)

Dr. Kristen Casey is a clinical psychologist, author, and content creator. She is the founder and owner of a private practice and consultation company in Missouri. She is also a popular TikTok doctor on insomnia and other sleep issues. She was an EMT for 5 years before she became a psychologist, where she struggled with her own insomnia, and uses her experience to guide others to creating health sleep habits. Her approach toward treating others is inclusive, empathetic, and honest in acknowledging we all experience life from a different perspective, so require unique treatment.

Her doctoral clinical training focused on health psychology, which sparked her interest in sleep, anxiety, and utilizing modalities rooted in science and research. Dr. Casey is most known on social media such as TikTok and Instagram for providing evidence-based mental health and wellness content about insomnia, anxiety, and depression in authentic and relatable ways. The goal of her platform is to reduce the mental health stigma and promote authentic life experiences.

Chapter 1: How I (Unexpectedly) Fell in Love with Sleep

I’m sure you’re wondering, “How on earth did you get involved in sleep stuff?” Quite frankly, I wasn’t expecting to become a psychologist, let alone help people with their insomnia. Ironically, I struggled with sleep difficulties in the past, but never really cared about my sleep health at all. Sleep difficulties also run in my family. My brother was a night owl, who would stay up all night long to get work done and sleep during the day. I never got a full night of quality sleep because of my work. To be honest, my poor sleep health wasn’t on my radar because I was focused on surviving life. I was more focused on working through trauma, managing rotating shifts as an EMT, and trying to reconnect with myself to be a better person.

As you can see, it’s kind of a long story, so let’s travel back in time before Kristen was Dr. Casey. But before this, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. It’s going to be a bit blunt so buckle up.

The Elephant in the Room

We all know that some people get into the field of mental health to learn more about themselves. In hindsight, I wasn’t really interested in the mental health field just yet, I was simply trying to figure out how life worked and if my life was normal. I’m sure this is a collective thought for most of us.

It’s important for you to have somewhat of an idea of who I am and where I’ve come from so you can identify if this book is a safe space or not. Of course it’s my intention that this is a safe space for you to learn about sleep, but it’s ultimately up to you to decide if it is or not. The reader-author connection is kinda like developing the patient-provider rapport in therapy: without trust or understanding, it’s hard to see any growth or progress. If you think your therapist doesn’t hear or see you, it’s hard for you to want to learn from them or share things with them. The same goes for reading a book about mental well-being; knowing the intentions of the author is essential.

I have all the credentials that any well-versed clinical psychologist would have. I received my Doctor of Psychology degree from Midwestern University in Arizona, an APA-accredited program. The American Psychological Association (APA) regulates and accredits certain psychology training programs to ensure they meet certain standards. I completed an APA-accredited internship and optional post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), my top choice for internship. I presented research with a colleague internationally in Australia. I was trained in evidence-based psychotherapy and evaluation/assessments. It came really naturally to me and it was incredibly fun to learn. But the training was rigorous and quite difficult. I remember some nights I’d stay up late and just cry, wondering if it was all worth it. I sacrificed so much for this degree, it almost cost me my relationship at one point. It really challenged me to work with people I never thought I’d ever come into contact with. I knew there was a lot to learn, so I always tried to be one step ahead, defending my dissertation early or getting licensed a bit earlier than others. But that doesn’t make me better, it just lets you know that I was so anxious and concerned about succeeding that I did everything in my power to ensure I was as well-trained as possible. I became licensed in two states and then was able to extend this license to twenty-eight states with the help of The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which is a compact that helps psychologists practice telehealth across state lines to increase access to mental healthcare services. I took my training very seriously and pride myself on always valuing ethics and professionalism in the therapy room and when I conduct assessments.

This sounds great, right? A good training program and everything checks out. Although I have credentials and I’m a well-trained psychologist, not all psychologists have the same lived experiences, clinical training, or lens that they view the world. It is critical to acknowledge this for the people that we treat and the information that we put out for the world to see. I fully acknowledge that I’m coming from a white  perspective, and challenge this perspective daily. I might not look like you, sound like you, or live like you.  It’s my goal to use this as fuel to make this book as inclusive as possible while also telling you, yes, I still have a lot to learn. I took some time to reflect on this before writing this book, and hope to incorporate these factors into the chapters. So, if your life is different from mine (or providers who look like me), just know that I see you.

Stress: It looks different for everyone

When I started writing this book I was like, “Yeah this will be easy.” [insert frantic research meme here]. Then I started to think about stress and how it affects people differently. It took me a while to figure out how to incorporate this, and I figured I’d do research to figure out how to make an insomnia book easy to read, but to feel inclusive for people who don’t fit the societal norm. 

So, it’s impossible to talk about sleep health without also talking about stress. Stress for someone who’s affluent looks very different from someone who doesn’t know when their next meal is. Stress is different for a Black woman in a corporate room full of white men and women. It’s different for someone who is paralyzed from the waist down, who needs help getting in and out of bed each night. It’s different for a Trans woman in a room full of cis women and men. My point isn’t to compare life experiences, but to acknowledge that there are inherent differences in experiences, even when we talk about stress. I consider that not everyone has the ability to fix their stress by fixing their thoughts (which might be loosely based on a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model), because many of these stressful situations are out of their control and impact their survival experiences. Yes, we can think about them differently, but it doesn’t change the experience of race-related stress, misogyny in the workplace, or feeling inherently undervalued by society because your disability stops you from working a full time job. So, to blindly tell someone to engage in scheduled worry time or to change their thoughts, doesn’t necessarily change the way they experience life. It might invalidate their experience further, so we have to be sensitive to this as we discuss strategies for reducing stress as it relates to sleep health.

That being said, I’m a white, able-bodied bisexual cisgender woman. Not everyone experiences life in this way. There are inherent privileges with  living life from this perspective, and it’s important to note that I’ve benefited from these privileges in many ways, regardless if I acknowledge this and work towards reducing my inherent biases. Now I know what you might be thinking, “wait, what’s the point of saying this? Isn’t this a book about insomnia?”

Yes, it is. And, the book isn’t worth writing (in my opinion) if we don’t acknowledge systemic issues that deter people from receiving help or sleep education. I mean, jeeze, there are plenty of barriers to gaining this information in the first place, which may actually start with us as providers. Yes, the mental healthcare system itself needs to be more accessible in several ways, but sometimes this is out of our control. What providers can control are the way we interact with people from other cultures, the knowledge we have of people that are different from us, a deep desire to attempt to understand what different ways of living might be like, actively engaging in policy change by signing petitions, being actively anti-racist, anti-homophobic, or anti-transphobic, knowing that we don’t know it all, and actively taking a stance against white supremacy and misogyny, etc.

It starts (at a bare minimum) with taking ownership of how these systems have benefited the majority of the population and with having a genuine desire to reach populations that desperately need our help needs. Then, it is a continual, lifelong journey to ensure that we are contributing to these systems in the ways that we can, and checking ourselves along the way. We can’t talk about mental health and sleep without also talking about stress because stress keeps people up at night. Knowing the type of stress and the impact is incredibly important. For example, if a BIPOC reader doesn’t feel seen or heard (at a bare minimum), they may not think that these sleep tips apply to them. It’s no surprise that minority voices desperately want (and deserve) culturally competent education materials and mental health treatment, and can often be in the medical room with a provider who is oblivious to the idea of systemic oppression and how that relates to their insomnia symptoms.