Episode Description

A Guide to Sleep Journals and Dogs with Backpacks Rewild Lewes

This week’s good news:

Karissa offers a guide to sleep journals, the perfect tool to help you improve your sleep quality. Then, Arielle shares a heartwarming solution going on in the town of Lewes, UK that has to do with local dogs on a rewilding mission.

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Transcript  

Theme music 

Karissa  

Hello and welcome to the Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up. I’m Karissa.  

Arielle  

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.  

Karissa  

Hello again, we’re back with another episode of the pod to share the solutions from the Optimist Daily this week. How are you doing today Arielle? 

Arielle  

Well, I’m doing well. I’m excited for the weekend.  

Karissa 

Yeah 

Arielle 

Yeah. I don’t know what else to say (laughs). 

Karissa  

Yeah, it’s August now too, which is kind of crazy. 

Arielle  

Time just keeps flying! But you know I’m… I’m just enjoying… enjoying the long days and the warmth while we have it. How are you? Are you still traveling around Southern California? 

Karissa  

Yeah, I’m still traveling around Southern California, kind of seeing all my friends on the way, which is a lot of fun. And we’ve done a lot of summer activities like bonfires and floating in bays and… (laughs). 

Arielle 

Ooh, nice! 

Karissa  

So, it’s been a good time, but quite exhausting. So, July flew by, but I’m ready for August, to see what it brings.  

Arielle  

Yeah, you’ve been really busy. How um… are you getting any rest? Like while you’re seeing your friends… or?  

Karissa  

Oh well, I’ve been trying, but I feel like I have been having not a lot of sleep, maybe sometimes (laughs). And that kind of goes into my solution that I have to share today.  

Arielle 

Oh, nice. 

Karissa 

It was really interesting to me because I’ve had a little bit of issues sleeping. Not really the, like, getting any sleep. But I’ve been having, like, kind of weird dreams lately.  

Arielle 

Ohh… 

Karissa 

Also, it’s something that I might want to do to pinpoint why my sleep is a little bit off, so I’ll dive into my solution if that’s okay. 

Arielle 

Yeah, go ahead! 

Karissa 

It’s called: Keep a sleep journal to transform your rest and unlock better sleep.  

You know I love Wellness and you know, I love journals, so… (laughs). I’m excited to talk about this… because getting a good night’s sleep is critical to our overall health and well-being. But with our hectic schedules, like traveling to see all your friends in Southern California (laughs) or just, you know, daily life anyways… I’m also working too and I’m sure people, in this day and age, relate to travel, work and everything in between. 

Arielle  

Yeah, workation, I think it’s called.  

Karissa  

But yeah, just in general, our lives are hectic, and we have distractions all the time, so getting enough restful sleep could be a little bit difficult. A sleep journal might be really helpful in this situation because tracking your sleep habits and patterns can provide significant insights into what is affecting your sleep and how to improve it. 

Arielle  

Okay, sounds pretty interesting… but what exactly is a sleep journal? Do you just track the hours that you sleep or… or something like that? 

Karissa  

Uh, not necessarily. It’s basically a tool that allows you to record different elements of your sleep and the circumstances that influence it. 

Arielle  

Hmm.  

Karissa  

But for this journal, you really don’t need, like, a fancy book-bound journal at all. A simple digital or physical record would suffice. 

So even just in your notes you can record information about your bedtime, wake time, sleep quality, and other factors that influence your sleep.  

Arielle 

Mm-hmm.  

Karissa  

And again, it really doesn’t need to be fancy. Keeping it simple is what it’s all about. It’s just about understanding what influences your sleep. And seeing the data is so important. And these journals are awesome because you can customize it to meet your specific needs. Some folks prefer a narrative format in which they write phrases or paragraphs outlining their daily sleep pattern, so kind of more like a traditional journal. But others may prefer a more structured style, such as checking boxes and filling in numbers on graphs or charts.  

Arielle  

Is there any way we can get examples or inspiration for this cause I’m still having trouble kind of visualizing what my sleep journal would look like.  

Karissa  

Yeah, so there’s templates available from organizations such as the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Sleep Foundation (the NSF), and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, with sections recording daily data such as caffeine and alcohol use, exercise, naps, and tiredness, so there’s tons of resources out there to get inspo and templates and such.  

Arielle 

Ah, okay. So, you’re also logging, like, if you have caffeine or alcohol and like basically anything that could impact your sleep.  

Karissa 

Yeah 

Arielle 

That’s in-depth! How can we use our sleep journal to the best of its abilities? Like how can we optimize it?  

Karissa  

So, Arielle, you kind of mentioned that there’s a couple elements that also affect your sleep besides just when you go to bed and when you wake up. So, to use our sleep journal at best, we can also include these following factors.  

In our article, we shared how total sleep hours during the 24 hours is important, sleepiness level throughout the day, medications used daily, the number of drinks containing caffeine and alcohol and the time you consume them, bedtime and wake time, exercise type and duration, sleep quality level, naps and their duration, the time it takes to fall asleep, and nightly awakenings.  

It’s kind of interesting. I mean, I know there’s a lot that affects our sleep, but to see it all on the list is… it’s no wonder that our sleep can get messed up sometimes.  

Arielle  

Yeah, there’s so many factors.  

Karissa  

And then other factors you might want to know too that could affect your sleep are your stress levels, of course, or your caregiving responsibilities.  

Arielle  

Okay. Yeah, those are good pointers. And how often should we note these in our sleep journals? Is it like a daily thing? 

Karissa  

To receive the most accurate results, you should fill out your sleep journal before going to bed and again in the morning when you get up since there’s stuff going on at night and during the day. just 24 hours that affect our sleep so… A small 2024 study actually discovered that respondents had trouble recalling sleep details accurately if they did not enter their entries promptly. So, it’s important to detail sooner rather than later.  

Arielle  

Okay. How do we know that a sleep journal would be right for us?  

Karissa  

Well, you definitely don’t have to wait until you have serious sleep difficulties to start keeping a sleep journal, because it can be a useful tool for anyone looking to improve their sleep quality.  

And to get meaningful results, you can attempt to keep the journal for just a week, and you should get a lot of data on that and some insights. This duration of just a week will allow you to identify patterns and factors that may be affecting your rest. So, even just using this as an experiment could be good. So, hopefully, you take inspiration! Again, like I said, the NHLBI for instance provides a sleep journal template with detailed instructions for completing it at night and in the morning. So, you can find out more about that. And I’m pretty sure we have it linked in this solution as well. So go check out the full solution on optimistdaily.com. 

A more systematic technique might help you capture all the necessary information from a template. So, if the template works for you, it’s great, but you know you might prefer the phrases and paragraphs.  

Arielle  

Yeah. Just kind of like winging it.  

Karissa  

Yeah. So definitely experiment with it. It’s not a one-size-fits-all and it doesn’t have to be. Like journaling, it can be however you want it to be.  

But that being said, if sleep difficulties are interfering with your everyday activities, you should visit a healthcare expert. The National Sleep Foundation defines chronic insomnia as having problems sleeping at least three evenings per week for at least three months. But you don’t have to wait until your problem is very serious to seek help. You can bring your completed sleep journal to your doctor and your doctor can provide significant insights and lead to a more accurate diagnosis and help you get that sleep. Because sleep is important.  

Arielle  

Hmm yeah, it sounds like keeping a sleep journal can really help us navigate the sometimes complex relationship we have with sleep.  

Karissa  

Totally. Yeah. So, in general, keeping a sleep journal offers a variety of advantages. It helps you identify patterns and find the links between your habits and your sleep quality that you may have not recognized before. It can help you improve your sleep, of course, because using the information from your notebook can make educated modifications to your routine to improve your sleep. And of course, schedule medical consultations with your sleep journal info, because a detailed sleep journal can offer your doctor critical information for better understanding and treating your sleep disorders.  

Yeah, I thought this was an interesting one and one we can all do. And like I said, even if you don’t have very serious sleep problems, it’s always good to kind of keep the insight of your habits for one. So yeah.  

Arielle 

Mmhm.  

Karissa  

Just keeping a sleep journal for a week or two or even longer can help you figure out what’s keeping you awake and get a better sleep. So. Yeah, sleep is important, so.  

Arielle  

Yeah, this is really interesting, actually. I wonder if there are certain habits and patterns that you’ve developed that have led to all of these crazy dreams you’ve been having! 

Karissa  

I know. I think mine was kind of coming from stress is what I realized, so… but I think there’s definitely some more things that I could document as well, so.  

Arielle  

Hmm.  

Karissa  

I think I will give this one a shot. And I don’t have a physical journal on me, but I do have my handy dandy phone notes. I’ll start tonight!  

Arielle  

Yeah, well, good luck with that. Maybe I’ll do that as well. I don’t really have too much trouble sleeping. I’m really good at sleeping (laughs) 

Karissa  

Yeah, you should. I don’t either, which is such a, like a blessing to have because, you know, like I said, we need our sleep and not being able to sleep can get so frustrating.  

Arielle 

Mmhm! Yeah, maybe I do have trouble. Like waking up. If I’m being very honest (laughs). 

Karissa  

Exactly. No, it’s hard (laughs). 

Arielle  

Yeah, my dog is always like… she always barges into the room and whines and cries until I get up. Because she needs her walks.  

Karissa  

Ohh no, that silly dog Tink of yours! 

Arielle  

Yeah, I know. Well, she keeps… That’s her job. She keeps me, you know, locked into my schedule. 

Karissa  

Yeah, it kind of seems like she might have a mission Arielle (laughs).  

Arielle  

Oh yes! That actually leads me to my solution of the week. Being a dog person, I really couldn’t resist this solution. And it’s called, Dogs on a mission: rewilding Lewes’ urban nature reserve.  

Today I have an absolutely delightful and heartwarming story for you all. It’s about dogs, obviously. And rewilding, and an urban nature reserve in the charming town of Lewes, which is in East Sussex in England.  

Karissa  

Ah, I’m excited about this one because I also love dogs and I also love to hear some rewilding and nature stories. So.  

Arielle  

Yeah, I actually went to Lewes last summer.  

Karissa 

Oh! 

Arielle 

So that’s also why this caught my attention. Yeah, I had a friend who, uh, grew up there. It’s such a quaint little town and there… there were actually such nice nature reserves around. And we took his dog out there and it was so beautiful, but it was mostly just like. Fields.  

Karissa 

Yeah.  

Arielle 

So, basically, what this initiative is about is local dogs being equipped with seed-filled backpacks… 

Karissa 

(laughs) 

Arielle 

…to mimic the role that wolves once played in the ecosystem. This project is run by the Railway Land Wildlife Trust and funded by Ouse Valley Climate Action. The idea is to use the dogs’ natural roaming habits to spread wildflower seeds all over the reserve. 

Karissa  

Wow. Yeah, this is a really brilliant idea, and I love the image of dogs wearing backpacks! Seed-filled backpacks… 

Arielle  

Yeah, so cute.  

Karissa  

…roaming around. How did they come up with this idea?  

Arielle  

So, the inspiration came from a 2019 project in Chile where two women and their three dogs helped reseed areas damaged by wildfires. Dylan Walker, the project manager in Lewes, saw the potential for a similar approach in their local reserve. He noticed parts of the reserve were getting worn down by foot traffic and thought to himself, why not use the dogs that are already walking here every day to help with rewilding?  

Karissa  

That’s a very good observation. And killing two birds with one stone.  

Arielle  

And… actually… it’s funny you say that because I was in a yoga class. Sorry. This is a total tangent. 

Karissa 

(laughs) 

Arielle 

But instead of saying “killing two birds with one stone”, the instructor, I don’t know what he was talking about. Probably some asana or whatever. But he was like “This asana feeds two birds with one hand.”  

Both 

(laugh) 

Karissa  

I like that! 

Arielle  

I like it as well, it’s a little bit more, like, optimistic! 

Karissa  

It is! Yeah, I’ll have to start using that one.  

Arielle  

Anyway, so the dogs get to fulfill the role that their ancestors, the wolves, used to have, which I think is also really cute. Historically, wolves played a crucial role in sustaining ecosystems by spreading plant seeds over long distances. As wolves traveled seeds got caught in their fur and were dispersed far and wide, aiding in the growth of diverse plant colonies. Without wolves, which became extinct in the UK around 1760, this natural seed dispersal system disappeared, and it made it much harder to maintain plant diversity.  

The initiative is pretty straightforward, but it is ingenious because dog walkers can pick up seed-filled backpacks from the reserve staff. And then their dogs just roam and explore as they naturally do. And as they do that, seeds are released through small holes in the packs. They even mix the seeds with sand to help them spread further, and with the sand, it helps them track where the seeds have been deposited.  

Karissa  

I love how you said the initiative is pretty straightforward, but ingenious because a lot of solutions that really change the world, they’re pretty straightforward and it’s just a matter of it being right in front of us and implementing it.  

Arielle 

Mmhm, yeah.  

Karissa  

And it sounds like the dogs are probably having a blast while helping out. How is the community responding to this project? 

Arielle  

So, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Local dog owners are thrilled to participate. One local, Cressida Murray, shared her excitement about her chocolate Cocker spaniel, Bertie, who runs around spreading seeds like his ancestors used to. So, it’s a win-win. The dogs enjoy their walks and then the environment also benefits. 

Karissa  

Hmm. Yeah, as pet parents, they must be very proud of their pets making a difference in their communities. Yeah, that’s amazing. Have they seen any results yet from this initiative?  

Arielle  

Yes, they actually have. So, Dylan Walker mentioned that they’re already seeing some seed germination in certain areas. And most of the seeds are perennials so they take a couple of years to fully establish and flower, but they’re hopeful that next year will bring even clearer results. 

Karissa  

Yeah, this is so fantastic! And it’s not just about rewilding, but also bringing the community closer to nature it sounds like. 

Arielle  

Absolutely. Walker highlighted that projects like these help people learn about ecological impacts while making the environment richer. And it’s a great educational tool and strengthens the bond between the community and the environment. So yeah, I guess, like for families that have young kids and dogs as well, it’s a really good teaching moment to show how, you know, humans can have a really beneficial impact on the environment… that we don’t always need to be exploiting it. And the hope is that this creative project will turn the Lewes urban nature reserve into a thriving ecosystem full of diverse plant species, all thanks to our four-legged furry friends. And yeah, to me it’s a perfect example of how community-driven efforts can make a big difference.  

Karissa  

Yeah, totally. And I feel like it would encourage pet owners and families and stuff to take even more walks in this area to, you know, see what kind of difference they can make. And so, I think that’s really cool. And it’s such a positive example of how humans and animals can work together to protect their environment.  

Arielle  

Mmhm, yeah, that’s what I thought as well. So. shout out to the Railway, Land, Wildlife, Trust and everyone involved. And yeah, if any of our listeners have dogs that they walk, then just think about all the good they could be doing for the environment. Because, yeah, who knows? Maybe this idea will catch on in more places, and we’ll be seeing more little dogs with seed backpacks on (laughs).  

Karissa  

Love the cute imagery of that! If your community has a place that needs rewilding, maybe consider bringing this idea up. 

Well, that was super cool, Arielle. Thanks for sharing! 

Arielle  

No problem! And thank you for sharing your uh sleep journal solution. I think I’m going to try that as well.  

Karissa  

Sounds simple, but effective. That’s what I love.  

Arielle  

Yeah, that’s the theme of our podcast episode today. Simple. But effective. 

Karissa  

But we also have some other great solutions from the week that you can find on our website optimistdaily.com including… 

Arielle  

Plastic bag usage on UK beaches plummets thanks to mandatory charges. Dawn of the robot weed-killers: a sustainable future for agriculture? Why glass food storage containers are a healthier, safer alternative to plastic. And Oregon’s nurse home visit program is a lifesaver for new parents. What else do we have Karissa? 

Karissa  

So, we also have good news from Colombia because Colombia bans bullfighting, a historic step for animal rights. How to protect your dogs’ paws in summer heat. A dog theme this week, I see (laughs)! 10 effective ways to get kids off screens this summer. And South Africa enacts historic climate change act. 

Arielle  

Amazing. If you want to start your day off right, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter to get our solutions straight to your inbox. 

Karissa  

We also have more on our social channels. You can find us @optimistdaily on all of our platforms, including threads and Pinterest. The only difference is on X where we’re known as @OdeToOptimism. 

Arielle  

We’re a small team of optimists working hard to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission of putting optimism out into the world, please click on the link in the show notes to find out how. 

Karissa  

Yeah, and support doesn’t always have to be financial. Even just recommending our podcast to a friend, leaving a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forwarding a link to a friend, or sharing a solution on your socials would be a big, great help.  

Arielle  

All right. Well, I hope you enjoy your weekend, Karissa. I hope you got some sleep.  

Karissa  

Yeah, thanks. I hope you do too, Arielle. And maybe put a little backpack on Tink! And take her for a walk with some seeds falling out!  

Arielle 

Yeah, it’s a good idea. We both wish all of our listeners a very happy weekend as well, and we’ll be back next week to share more solutions from the Optimist Daily. 

Karissa  

Yeah. Can’t wait! We’ll see you next time.  

Both 

Bye!