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The Gaslit Truth Podcast is hosted by Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz, exploring mental health, psychiatric medication withdrawal, therapy culture, and informed consent.
In this episode, Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz discuss the billion dollar industry of sleep, including melatonin, sleep aids, and how therapy and psychology intersect with mental health care.
Ready to stop buying sleep and start getting it back? We went live for our 100th and pulled apart the billion-dollar promises of Big Sleep to reveal what actually works: aligning hormones, respecting your internal clocks, and building rituals your nervous system can trust. No fluff—just clear, doable steps that restore deep, natural rest.

We start with the biggest myths: nightly melatonin as a cure-all, “I’m fine on five hours,” and weekend sleep catch-up. You’ll learn how circadian and ultradian rhythms really drive energy and rest, why cortisol and melatonin work like a seesaw, and how shift work, screens, and late caffeine scramble that delicate timing. We share new concerns about long-term melatonin use, the hidden costs of Z-drugs and antihistamines, and how alcohol and sugar wreck every stage of sleep through blood sugar swings and adrenaline spikes.

Then we get practical. Think protein before bed to stabilize glucose and feed serotonin-to-melatonin production. Set a digital curfew and bring in real morning light to reset your master clock. Try alternate nostril breathing to flip your body from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest in minutes. Make bedtime sacred: cooler room, paper book, chamomile or lavender, and a bedroom reserved for sleep and sex. For support, consider magnesium glycinate, GABA, or L-theanine—useful tools when paired with habits, not replacements for them. And if insomnia has dug in, CBT-I consistently outperforms pills by changing behaviors and beliefs that block sleep.

If you’re tired of chasing gadgets and gummies, this conversation hands you a simpler map: manage cortisol, protect your rhythms, and let your brain remember how to sleep. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s struggling at 3 a.m., and leave a review to help more people find real rest without the hype.

We're recruiting for a first-of-its-kind psychiatric medication withdrawal research study. If you've experienced psychiatric medication withdrawal, you may be eligible to participate.  Email DrTeralyn@DrTeralyn.com to learn more. 

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💊 Ready to Deprescribe Your Psych Meds?

Psych meds have harmed us—and we’re not just survivors, we’re deeply educated in psychopharmacology, psychology, and nutrition. As hosts of The Gaslit Truth Podcast, we guide people safely off psychiatric medications with strategies grounded in science and brain health

🔥 You’ve been harmed. You’ve been dismissed. It’s time to take your brain back—with guidance from people who’ve been there and know their stuff.

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