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NSDR, or Non-Sleep Deep Rest, is a term coined by Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman for a category of practices, most directly based on yoga nidra, a guided relaxation practice from yoga, that bring the body into deep rest while staying conscious. Research shows genuine, if often modest, benefits: yoga nidra practices are linked to reduced […]
NSDR for Sleep: What the Research Actually Supports Read More »
4-7-8 breathing is a simple technique, inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8, developed by Dr. Andrew Weil as an adaptation of pranayama, the yogic practice of controlled breathing. The extended exhale is designed to activate your vagus nerve and shift your body toward a calmer, parasympathetic state. The honest picture on
4-7-8 Breathing for Sleep: Steps and What Research Shows Read More »
Serotonin and sleep are connected, but not in the simple “more serotonin equals more sleepy” way that most wellness content suggests. Well-established neuroscience shows serotonin’s primary, direct role in the classic sleep-wake system is to promote wakefulness and actively inhibit REM sleep, the opposite of a sedative. What’s true is that serotonin is the essential
Serotonin and Sleep: The Myth vs. the Actual Science Read More »
Bloating and sleep are connected largely because your gut has its own internal clock, and digestion naturally slows down at night as part of a normal circadian rhythm, not a malfunction. On top of that expected slowdown, poor sleep itself can independently impair gut motility and increase sensitivity to digestive discomfort, meaning a bad night’s
Bloating and Sleep: Why Your Stomach Feels Worse at Night Read More »
IBS and sleep are genuinely connected, but the direction of that connection is more specific than most people assume. Research reviews consistently find that poor sleep predicts worse IBS symptoms the next day, while good evidence for the reverse, IBS symptoms directly causing poor sleep that same night, is weaker than commonly believed. Up to
IBS and Sleep: The Real Direction of the Link Read More »
Postpartum insomnia is genuine difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep after waking, and it’s distinct from the expected sleep fragmentation that comes from caring for a newborn. Research shows about two-thirds of postpartum women experience poor sleep quality, driven by a steep drop in progesterone and estrogen right after birth, disrupted melatonin
Postpartum Insomnia: Why It Happens and What Helps Read More »
PCOS and sleep are connected in a way that’s more specific than most people expect: the strongest, most consistent evidence links polycystic ovary syndrome to a dramatically higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), not just generic “poor sleep.” One landmark study found PCOS patients were roughly 30 times more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing
PCOS and Sleep: The Sleep Apnea Link Explained Read More »
Estrogen and sleep are connected, but largely through an indirect route: declining estrogen disrupts your body’s temperature regulation, triggering hot flashes and night sweats that repeatedly wake you overnight. Estrogen also supports serotonin production and may help regulate cortisol, giving it some direct influence on sleep too, but research consistently points to vasomotor symptoms, hot
Estrogen and Sleep: What Menopause Research Shows Read More »
Progesterone and sleep are linked through a genuine, well-documented biological mechanism: progesterone converts in the brain into a metabolite called allopregnanolone, which acts on GABA receptors, your brain’s main calming system, producing a sedative-like effect similar in some ways to benzodiazepine sleep medications. This is why sleep tends to worsen when progesterone drops sharply, such
Progesterone and Sleep: The Research Behind the Link Read More »
Hormones and sleep are deeply intertwined, and for many people, especially women, hormonal shifts are the actual root cause behind sleep problems that generic sleep hygiene advice never fixes. Reproductive hormones like progesterone and estrogen rise and fall across the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, each with documented effects on sleep. Conditions like PCOS
Hormones and Sleep: How Your Body’s Chemistry Shapes Rest Read More »
