When you’re under pressure your body enters a state of alertness. The stress hormone cortisol keeps you vigilant. That’s useful in urgent situations, but the brain doesn’t distinguish between a caregiving task tomorrow morning and a lion around the corner. Under stress, the body remains in a heightened state of readiness, which prevents proper recovery during sleep. As a result, you either don’t get enough sleep or the quality of your sleep declines.

On TikTok and Instagram, it’s showing up more and more: people showering in the dark shortly before bedtime. Just warm, running water and darkness. They claim that dark showering helps them fall asleep faster. Is that true?

A large observational study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, conducted among over 53,000 adults, shows that three small daily adjustments together can already make a noticeable difference for your heart

Various scientific studies confirm that listening to music before going to sleep can improve sleep. This is especially true for people with mild to moderate sleep problems.

As long as your days are filled with obligations, your evenings will be filled with procrastination. That’s why simple solutions like putting your phone away or going to bed earlier rarely work.

The metaphor of the accelerator pedal and brake pedal is powerful because it provides insight. It shows that insomnia is not a lack of ability to sleep, but a disruption of balance. It’s something that arises when your system receives the right signals and nothing is standing in the way anymore

Many people experience a surge of alertness shortly before bedtime. Why is that?

For people with insomnia, ASMR can be a useful addition to a bedtime routine. It signals to the body that it’s time to sleep and helps release racing thoughts. Research shows that those sensitive to ASMR have a more active brain region associated with relaxation

Yoga combines movement, breathing, focus, and relaxation. This appears to reduce stress and positively influence your nervous system. Interestingly, it's not about the gentle, slow yoga, but rather more intensive forms like power yoga or vinyasa flow

We’ve grown accustomed to the idea that a healthy night’s sleep means one solid block of 7 to 9 hours. But science shows what historical research has long suggested: humans may not naturally be “one-stretch sleepers.”

Which forms of physical activity are the most sleep-inducing? Research by an international team, drawn from several Asian universities, provides the answer.

Negative sleep beliefs contribute to more stress and tension in bed, worrying about sleep and poorer sleep quality

Forcing sleep rarely works. It’s precisely by letting go of control and accepting the natural rhythms of our bodies that we can experience better sleep.