K-State's Living Well Wednesday spring series kicks off Jan. 10 with the presentation, 'Sleep is a Superpower.'
Sleep is a Superpower: K-State kicks off Living Well Wednesday spring series
Monthly webinars also feature women’s health topics
Jan. 8, 2024
By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Other than resting up for the day ahead, many folks may think that nothing much happens during a good night’s sleep.
Yet, science proves that sleep directly affects one’s life expectancy, relationships, libido, weight, cardiovascular health and the immune system, according to Michelle Lane, the senior director for Community Wellness and Corporate Health at North Kansas City Hospital.
Lane is the featured speaker for the kickoff to the 2024 Living Well Wednesday series, hosted by K-State Research and Extension. Her talk – Sleep is a Superpower – is available online for free on Jan. 10 from 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
“Sometimes we think that sleep is a waste of time, or maybe that one thing that we can cut back on because our lives are busy and stressed,” said Sharoly Jackson, co-coordinator of K-State’s Living Well Wednesday series. “I admit that I can fall into that category myself.
“But what I really like about our guest speaker (Lane) is that she talks about the science behind sleep (and) why it’s so important to lay the foundation of good sleep. There is a whole lot going on while you’re sleeping that we don’t really think about.”
Living Well Wednesday is a virtual learning series offered by K-State family and consumer science professionals from across Kansas. Jackson said this spring’s series includes sessions on the second Wednesdays in February and March, and focusing on women’s health.
On Feb. 14, Joleen Zivnuska, a women’s health nurse practitioner with Prairie Health and Wellness, will give a talk titled, Women’s Health and Function Medicine, which focuses on root causes of illness in women.
On March 13, Priscilla Barnes, a state extension specialist and assistant profession in K-State’s Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health, will give a talk titled, Navigating Diets, Supplements and Women’s Health in a Confusing World. Barnes will focus on keys to a health and balanced diet; how and when to use supplements; and wellness tips for women.
Where personal health is concerned, “we do live in a confusing world,” Jackson said. “We often wonder how to make sense of all the information that’s out there, and it’s easy to slip into a place where look for what we want to hear or something that supports what we want to believe.”
Barnes’ talk, she added, “will address what is really rooted in science and help us navigate information related to diets.”
Jackson noted that Barnes’ talk also is expected to be available in Spanish later in March. Organizers also are planning to offer one of last fall’s popular sessions on baby brain development in Spanish on Jan. 17.
More information and registration for all sessions is available online on the Living Well Wednesday website.
At a glance
Science proves that sleep directly affects one’s life expectancy, relationships, libido, weight, cardiovascular health and the immune system. K-State will host the talk, 'Sleep is a Superpower,' on Jan. 10, kicking off the spring's Living Well Wednesday series.
Website
Living Well Wednesday (K-State Research and Extension)
Notable quote
“Sometimes we think that sleep is a waste of time, or maybe that one thing that we can cut back on because our lives are busy and stressed... (but) there is a whole lot going on while you’re sleeping that we don’t really think about.”
— Sharolyn Jackson, NE area family and consumer sciences specialist, K-State Research and Extension
Source
Sharolyn Jackson
785-532-5833
sharolyn@ksu.edu
Written by
Pat Melgares
melgares@ksu.edu
For more information:
Sleep: Want it, need it, get it
Keys to Embracing Aging: Sleep
