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Author: Pam Faccone

Pam Faccone is the Health Coach Team Lead at Avidon Health, where she has dedicated the past 5 years to empowering employees on their health journeys, working on-site with a leading healthcare system.

Prior to joining Avidon, Pam played a vital role in enhancing employee well-being at a leading financial institution. As a key member of their internal wellness program, she was responsible for a wide range of initiatives, including on-site fitness centers, ergonomics programs, community outreach, and support services for employees with childcare and eldercare responsibilities.

Pam holds an M.S. in Exercise Science and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and National Board Certified Wellness Coach.

A dedicated member of her community, Pam volunteers her time with her local Zoning Board and Boy Scout troop.

Outside of work, Pam enjoys an active lifestyle. She is an avid cyclist, having completed a ten-year journey across the United States. She is also a dedicated yogi and enjoys exploring nature with her 7-year-old Labrador Retriever.

Categories
Health Coaches

Sleep and Brain Health: Why Rest Is the Foundation of a Sharper Mind

Bright, serene bedroom with natural light and warm neutral tones promoting restful sleep

Sleep & Brain Health

Sleep and Brain Health: Why Rest Is the Foundation of a Sharper Mind

By Pam Faccone, MS, CEP, Avidon Health | May 2026 | 4 min read

Sleep is essential for positive well-being, yet it remains one of the most neglected health habits. More than one-third of adults fall short of the recommended 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep, with measurable consequences for brain function, mood, and long-term health.

Peaceful bedroom with natural morning light representing sleep health and brain function
Sleep supports nearly every system in the body and is one of the most powerful tools for protecting brain health. Quality sleep improves memory, focus, and learning, clears metabolic waste from the brain, and reduces the long-term risk of cognitive decline. Building a consistent sleep routine is the most effective way to get the rest your body and mind require each night.

Sleep Is the Foundation, Not the Bonus.

Exercise, diet, and stress management usually get top billing as the health habits people want to improve. Sleep deserves a place on that list too.

Sleep supports nearly every system in the body. It helps build a stronger immune response, enables faster muscle recovery and tissue repair, supports a balanced appetite to aid in weight management, and regulates mood and emotional responses.

Think of sleep less like a reward at the end of a productive day and more like maintenance your body requires to function at its best.

What Sleep Does for Your Brain.

The brain benefits of quality sleep are substantial. Sleep improves memory, focus, and learning. It increases daytime energy and alertness. It also facilitates brain plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt to new information and experiences, which is fundamental to building knowledge and skills over time.

During sleep, the brain's glymphatic system clears metabolic waste at a significantly higher rate than during waking hours. According to research, this overnight cleansing process may play a role in reducing the buildup of proteins associated with cognitive decline, resulting in better concentration, sharper reasoning, and improved higher-level thinking when you're awake.

What Happens When You Don't Sleep Enough.

Insufficient sleep doesn't just make you tired. It impairs judgment. Poor sleep heightens the risk of making bad decisions because of reduced attention, decreased concentration, and cloudy thinking. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to increased risk of anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.

1 in 3
U.S. adults sleep less than 7 hours per night, raising the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and mental distress, according to the CDC.

How to Improve Your Sleep: Good Sleep Hygiene.

The most effective way to improve sleep is to build a consistent routine, what sleep researchers call sleep hygiene. Here are the core practices:

Eating
Stop eating about 3 hours before bedtime
Give your digestive system time to settle before you try to sleep.
Stimulants
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bed
All three disrupt sleep quality, even when they don't seem to keep you awake.
Screens
Disconnect from screens at least 1 hour before sleep
Blue light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that signals to your body that it's time to rest.
Schedule
Keep consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends
A regular schedule regulates your body's internal clock and makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.
Wind-down
Create a routine that signals sleep is approaching
Washing your face, brushing your teeth, followed by light stretches, meditation, or reading can all help cue your body for rest.
Environment
Set your bedroom up for sleep: cool, dark, and quiet
Small, consistent changes to your sleep environment can make a meaningful difference in how quickly you fall asleep and how well you stay asleep.

Sweet dreams.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sleep and Brain Health.

Common questions about rest, memory, and building better sleep habits.

How many hours of sleep do adults need? +
Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Individual needs vary slightly, but consistently sleeping fewer than 7 hours is associated with impaired memory, reduced focus, and a higher risk of chronic health conditions.
Does sleep really affect memory and learning? +
Yes, significantly. During sleep, the brain consolidates new information and transfers it from short-term to long-term memory. Research shows that sleep deprivation can impair this consolidation process, making it harder to retain what you've learned and think clearly the next day.
What is sleep hygiene and why does it matter? +
Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and environmental conditions that support consistent, restful sleep. Good sleep hygiene, such as keeping a regular sleep schedule, limiting screen time before bed, and avoiding caffeine in the evening, helps regulate your body's natural sleep-wake cycle and improves both sleep quality and duration.
Can you "catch up" on lost sleep on weekends? +
Partially, but not fully. While extra sleep on weekends can reduce some of the short-term effects of sleep deprivation, research suggests it doesn't fully reverse the cognitive impairment caused by chronic insufficient sleep. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule throughout the week is more effective than trying to recover lost sleep in bulk.
What foods or drinks should I avoid before bed? +
Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate) for at least 4 to 6 hours before bed, as it has a half-life of about 5 hours in the body. Alcohol may feel relaxing initially but disrupts sleep architecture and reduces REM sleep quality. Large or heavy meals close to bedtime can also interfere with sleep by keeping your digestive system active.

Help Your Employees Sleep Better and Perform Better.

Avidon Health's well-being platform gives employees the tools, coaching, and content they need to build healthier habits that actually stick.

Try Free Demo Sleep & Recovery Resources
Categories
Health Coaches

The Unexpected Joy of Coaching: How Listening Transformed My Life

A smiling woman using a laptop, representing personal growth through digital health coaching and wellness tools.

Discovering the Power of Listening

What have I learned from health coaching at Avidon Health?

If you had told me 20 years ago that I would become a health coach, I would have scoffed. Not that I didn’t value the idea of coaching; I just didn’t see myself in that role. At the time, I was deep in the throes of corporate life; always problem solving, always trying to come up with the next and best program or challenge. To say I wasn’t good at deep listening was an understatement. I also wasn’t very good at sitting in silence and letting others solve the problem. I loved the challenge of coming up with a creative solution.

A smiling woman using a laptop, representing personal growth through digital health coaching and wellness tools.

Health coaching class gave me permission to let go; to realize that I didn’t have to have all the answers all the time. I also didn’t have to solve someone else’s problem for them. What a freeing experience!

I now love coaching. I love it when someone comes up with their own solution to their own problem. You can hear it in their voice; the enthusiasm to try a new solution to an old problem. It’s even better when they come back the following week, all excited to tell you about their success.

A favorite quote that applies is: “You have two ears and one mouth; you should listen twice as much as you speak.”

From Corporate to Health Coaching: A Personal Shift

That same curiosity and openness I’ve gained as a coach has carried over into my personal life—especially in how I approach learning and wellness in small moments.

Over the years, I’ve seen health coaching evolve. We’ve gone from in-person workshops and print handouts to webinars, trackers, and now highly personalized digital platforms. The tools have changed, but the goal is still helping people feel better, stay motivated, and create lasting change.

Health coaching has become more than just a profession for me, it’s been a journey of learning, connection, and growth. Along the way, it has also led to personal growth through coaching, helping me better understand myself while supporting others in their goals.

Learning, One Click at a Time

The new Avidon Health app is fun. If I have a few minutes (like waiting at a doctor’s appointment), instead of scrolling through social media, I’d rather learn something new. So, I just open the app and find a fun topic to explore. Today I read about “Deskercise” – taking mini breaks during the day to combat the effects of sitting too long at a computer. The beginning has a cute question to answer (I won’t give it away) that really makes you think about how long you sit and the cumulative effects of being sedentary. There were also some quick movement suggestions that encouraged me to get up and try them. So, it was time well spent.

While in the app, I saw a bunch of other health topics that I would like to explore, such as getting a good night’s sleep or how to create a habit. Looking forward to learning during my mini app break tomorrow.

Illustration of a hand holding a smartphone with a wellness app notification, symbolizing digital learning and micro-moments of self-care.

Still a Coach, Still a Learner

Even as I’m health coaching, I’m still learning—and I love that Avidon makes it easy to keep growing in small, meaningful ways. Whether I’m guiding others or exploring something new for myself, I’m reminded that change doesn’t always come from having the perfect answer. Sometimes, it comes from simply being curious enough to ask the next question.

Health coaching keeps shaping not just how I support others, but how I take care of myself, too. It’s a path I’m grateful to keep walking.

Categories
Health Coaches

The Powerful Benefits of Interval Walk Training:

Interval walk training

The Benefits of Interval Walk Training: 

Interval walk training

Do you like to walk as your main mode of exercise? Does your standard walk need a change or boost so that you burn more calories? Try adding Interval Walk Training (IWT) to the mix. Here is an explanation of what it is, how to do it and the benefits you can achieve. 

Interval Walk Training involves alternating periods of fast walking with periods of walking at a slower pace. Think of it as a contest between the tortoise and the hare. You’ll play both roles, alternating between slow and fast paces.

The benefits are like those of steady paced walking but can be achieved with less time since the intensity is increased. Some studies in Japan found the following benefits: 

  • Weight loss
  • Reduced fat mass
  • Increased cardiovascular endurance and aerobic capacity
  • Reduced blood pressure and blood glucose
  • Improved leg circulation
  • Increased leg strength
Interval walk training also offers these benefits:
  • No cost – you just need a timer (your phone, a watch, or an app)
  • Easily accessible – you can do this anywhere you can walk….around your neighborhood, school track, park or on a treadmill
  • Low rate of injury

To make it work well, you need to pay attention to your breathing using the “Sing/Talk/Gasp” test. After your warmup, pick up your pace to a speed where you can talk but not sing. Then, when you increase your pace for the faster segment, you should be a little more out of breath but not gasping. You should be able to slightly speak in between your breaths. 

Here is an example of a beginner level IWT for a 30 min walk: 

  • Warmup at a slow pace for 5 min
  • Walk fast for 1 min; then slow to a normal pace for the next 3 minutes
  • Repeat this “Fast for 1; slow for 3” sequence five times for a total of 20 min
  • Cooldown at a slower pace for 5 min
  • Total time is 30 min with 5 minutes of it at a higher intensity.

As you gain strength and endurance, you can mix and match the following categories to increase your fitness level. 

  • Increase work time
  • Shorten rest time
  • Increase your speed
  • Increase the number of repeats in a sequence
  • Change your terrain from flat by adding hills, bleacher steps or trails to the mix

Pick one or two areas at a time to increase the work level. Do not increase all these categories at the same time. 

Ready for a more intense workout? Try this 30-minute IWT routine:Interval walk training
  • Warmup for 4 min
  • Alternate 90 seconds fast with 90 seconds slow for 7 times for a total of 21 min
  • Cool down for 5 min
  • Total time is still 30 minutes, with 10.5 min at a higher intensity

In conclusion, if walking is your personal choice of exercise, you can add some fun and kick it up a notch by inserting some higher intensity intervals into your normal walk. You’ll also find that the timed intervals can make your workout fly by.

References:

Eat This, Not That: The Best Interval Walking Workout Based on Your Fitness Level

Harvard Health Publishing: Cognitive benefits from high-intensity interval training may last for years

Healthline: Power Walking: What It Is, How to Do It & Why It’s So Good for You

Medical News Today: Short bouts of exercise every 30 minutes may help maintain muscles

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