Sleep isn’t optional, and it’s not a luxury for “when life slows down.”

In this episode of The Thick Thighs Save Lives Podcast, we sit down with neuroscientist and sleep researcher Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib to unpack what actually happens in your brain and body when sleep gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

We talk about why chronic exhaustion shows up as anxiety, brain fog, stalled weight loss, mood swings, and burnout, and why so many women are misdiagnosed or completely dismissed when the real issue is sleep quality.

This conversation goes far beyond “get more rest.” We break down:

• How quickly sleep deprivation affects cognition and emotional regulation

• Why REM and deep sleep are essential (and why your wearable isn’t gospel)

• The myth of “functioning fine” on 4 hours of sleep

• How exercise timing, cortisol, and nutrition directly impact sleep

• Why crash dieting and poor sleep sabotage metabolism

• The alarming link between sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and dementia

• Why sleep apnea is wildly underdiagnosed in women and children

• What to do if you’re afraid of CPAPs (and why delaying treatment is far riskier)

• Perimenopause, night sweats, insomnia, and what actually helps

If you’ve ever told yourself: “This is just how I am now”, or…”I’ll sleep when things calm down”, this episode will change how you think about sleep forever.

Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib's Links:

Wesper.co and email: chelsie@wesper.co

(00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib

(00:03:13) Why we spend a third of our life asleep and signs to look for

(00:07:58) How fast sleep deprivation affects the brain

(00:13:30) Genetics and the 4 hr sleep club myth  

(00:21:10) Wearables and deep sleep vs REM: what actually matters

(00:29:12) Exercise timing, cortisol, and insomnia

(00:34:45) Nutrition, blood sugar crashes, and waking up starving

(00:40:48) Diet culture, sleep loss, and stalled metabolism

(00:47:33) Sleep apnea: what’s happening in your brain

(00:57:29) Tips, tricks and treatment options beyond CPAPs

(01:05:22) Rapid-fire sleep myths and advice

(01:13:00) Where to find Dr. Rohrscheib

Want to leave the TTSL Podcast a voicemail? We love your questions and adore hearing from you. https://www.speakpipe.com/TheThickThighsSaveLivesPodcast

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