Chronic insomniacs are treated harshly in the media. We’re told that six hours of sleep damages the brain, weakens the immune system, and causes the heart to fail. That the risk of depression increases. And yet, some people still make it to 95 just fine

People with insomnia have a specific tension profile, in which sleep-related and anxiety-related forms weigh most heavily. This explains why insomnia can be so persistent

A forty percent higher risk of dementia. Brains that function as if they are four years older. These are the figures from a study involving more than 2,700 adults with chronic insomnia

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.

If you think you sleep poorly because your father or mother did too, and that it’s simply “in your DNA,” some nuance is needed. Predisposition explains why you may be more vulnerable. It doesn’t necessarily explain why you’re sleeping poorly now or why it just isn’t improving.

During a scroll through social media, I notice how persistent certain sleep myths still are. I’ve listed four common ones.

The ‘Dutch Method’: A viral sleep trend that misses the science

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

The analysis of a massive sleep dataset mainly shows that sleep is not a mysterious process over which you have little control. On the contrary, small and consistent behavioral changes can already make a big difference.

Light is a powerful signal for the body. It influences our biological clock, sleep, mood, and cognitive performance. But it’s not just about how bright the light is. It also matters when and what type of light we’re exposed to.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics, young people between the ages of thirteen and eighteen need eight to ten hours of sleep per night for optimal health and development. Yet the majority do not meet this standard

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

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

Do you remember pulling an all-nighter in the past? Did you have a bad day the next day?

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.